Form a picture in your mind of the meaning of these verbs and of the subject (whether “I”, “you”, “he”, etc.):

D’ordófá é. Lasfaimis é. Ní cheannódh sé é. Dá ndíolfainn é. Nach sílfidís é? An inseodh sí é? Ní throidfeá. Mura gcasfadh sibh é. Dá mbrisfeadh sé é. An ngoidfí é? Nach n-ólfá é? Mura mbeadh sé anseo. Chreidfimis é.

Key: You would order it. We would light it. He wouldn’t buy it. If I were to sell it. Wouldn’t they think it? Would she tell it? You wouldn’t fight. If you-all were not to turn it. If he were to break it. Would it be stolen? Wouldn’t you drink it? If he weren’t here. We would believe it.

For all the irregular verbs (briathra neamhrialta), the basic or root form for the conditional resembles that for the future. Endings are similar to those for regular verbs of the first conjugation, such as “cuir” and “cas”.

Learn these five verbs first. Go through each aloud, forming a picture of the activity and subject for each phrase.

“Tar”, come, is tiocfaidh mé (TYUHK-hee may*), I will come, in the ordinary future. In the modh coinníollach:

thiocfainn (HUHK-hin), I would come.

thiocfá (HUHK-faw*), you would come.

thiocfadh sé (HUHK-huhk* shay*), he would come.

thiocfadh sí, she would come.

thiocfaimis (HUHK-hi-mish), we would come.

thiocfadh sibh, you-all would come.

thiocfaidís (HUHK-hi-deesh), they would come.

thiocfaí (HUHK-fwee), people would come.

Go through the other forms for “tar”. These are the first phrases for each group:

ní thiocfainn (nee HUHK-hin), I wouldn’t come.

an dtiocfainn (un DYUHK-hin), would I come?

nach dtiocfainn, wouldn’t I come?

dá dtiocfainn, if I were to come.

mura dtiocfainn, if I were not to come.

“Téigh” (tay*), go, with “rachfaidh mé” (RAHK*-hee may*) for “I will go”, has its conditional as:

rachainn (RAHK*-hin), I would go.

rachfá (RAHK*-faw*) you would go.

rachadh sé (RAHK*-huhk* shay*), he would go.

rachadh sí, she would go.

rachaimis (RAHK*-hi-mish), we would go.

rachadh sibh, you-all would go.

rachaidís (RAHK*-hi-deesh), they would go.

rachfaí (RAHK*-fwee), people would go.

Go through the other forms for “téigh”. The first phrases in each group are:

Ní rachainn. An rachainn? Nach rachainn? Dá rachainn. Mura rachainn.

“Feic” (fek) means “see”. Its future forms begin with: feicfidh mé (FEK-hee may*). In the modh coinníollach, a “d” must precede the “f”.

d’fheicfinn (DEK-hin), I would see.

d’fheicfeá (DEK-faw*), you would see.

d’fheicfeadh sé (DEK-huhk* shay*), he would see.

d’fheicfeadh sí, she would see.

d’fheicfimis (DEK-hi-mish), we would see.

d’fheicfidís (DEK-hi-deesh), they would see.

d’fheicfí (DEK-fee), people would see.

The first phrases in each of the other groups are:

Ní fheicfinn (nee EK-hin), I wouldn’t see. An bhfeicfinn? (un VEK-hin), would you see? Nach bhfeicinn? (nahk* VEK-hin), wouldn’t I see?

Dá bhfeicfinn, if I were to see. Mura bhfeicfinn, if I were not to see.

“Clois” (klish) means “hear”. The future forms begin with: Cloisfidh mé (KLISH-hee may*). The conditional is:

chloisfinn (K*LISH-hinn), I would hear.

chloisfeá (K*LISH-faw*), you would hear.

chloisfeadh sé (K*LISH-huhk* shay*), he would hear.

chloisfeadh sí, she would hear.

chloisfimis (K*LISH-hi-mish), we would hear.

chloisfeadh sibh, you-all would hear.

chloisfidís (K*LISH-hi-deesh), they would hear.

chloisfí (K*LISH-fee), people would hear.

The first phrases in the other forms are:

Ní chloisfinn, I wouldn’t hear. An gcloisfinn? (un GLISH-hin), would I hear? Nach gcloisfinn? (nahk* GLISH-hin), wouldn’t I hear? Dá gcloisfinn, if I were to hear. Mura gcloisfinn, if I were not to hear.

“Abair” (AH-bir), meaning “say”, has déarfaidh mé (DYAY*R-hee may*) for “I will say”. The modh coinníollach begins:

déarfainn (DYAY*R-hin), I would say.

déarfá (DYAY*R-faw*), you would say.

déarfadh sé (DYAY*R-huhk* shay*), he would say.

déarfadh sí, she would say.

déarfaimis (DYAY*R-hi-mish), we would say.

déarfadh sibh, you-all would say.

déarfaidís (DYAY*R-hi-deesh), they would say.

déarfaí (DYAY*R-fwee), people would say.

There is no aspiration of the first consonant in this verb. The other groups begin: Ní déarfainn, I wouldn’t say. An ndéarfainn? (un NYAY*R-hin), would I say? Nach ndéarfainn? (nahk* NYAY*R-hin), wouldn’t I say? Dá ndéarfainn, if I were to say. Mura ndéarfainn, if I were not to say.