Future Tense in Irish

Overview

The future tense in Irish allows you to talk about what will happen. It is formed differently from the past tense, using suffixes rather than initial mutations as the primary marker. First conjugation verbs add -faidh/-fidh, while second conjugation verbs add -óidh/-eoidh. The irregular verbs, as always, have their own unique future stems.

The future tense is one of the more regular tenses in Irish, with clear patterns that apply consistently once you know a verb's conjugation class. The negative particle is ní (+ lenition), and the question particle is an (+ eclipsis) — different from the past tense particles níor and ar.

An important note: Irish also has a present tense that can express future meaning in certain contexts, particularly with verbs of motion. However, the dedicated future tense is what you use for definite future plans and predictions.

How It Works

First Conjugation (Short Verbs): -faidh/-fidh

Root	Future	English
bris	brisfidh mé	I will break
cuir	cuirfidh mé	I will put
dún	dúnfaidh mé	I will close
glan	glanfaidh mé	I will clean
scríobh	scríobhfaidh mé	I will write
ól	ólfaidh mé	I will drink

The broad/slender rule determines -faidh vs -fidh: broad final consonant → -faidh, slender → -fidh.

Second Conjugation (Long Verbs): -óidh/-eoidh

Root	Future	English
ceannaigh	ceannóidh mé	I will buy
bailigh	baileoidh mé	I will collect
mínigh	míneoidh mé	I will explain
inis	inseoidh mé	I will tell
imigh	imeoidh mé	I will leave

Irregular Future Stems

Verb	Future	English
bí	beidh mé	I will be
téigh	rachaidh mé	I will go
tar	tiocfaidh mé	I will come
faigh	gheobhaidh mé	I will get
déan	déanfaidh mé	I will do
abair	déarfaidh mé	I will say
feic	feicfidh mé	I will see
tabhair	tabharfaidh mé	I will give
clois	cloisfidh mé	I will hear
ith	íosfaidh mé	I will eat
beir	béarfaidh mé	I will catch

Negative and Question Forms

Form	Particle	Mutation	Example
Positive	—	—	Scríobhfaidh mé.
Negative	ní	lenition	Ní scríobhfaidh mé.
Question	an	eclipsis	An scríobhfaidh tú?
Neg. question	nach	eclipsis	Nach scríobhfaidh tú?

Examples in Context

Irish	English	Note
Scríobhfaidh mé litir.	I will write a letter.	1st conjugation
Ceannóidh sí teach nua.	She will buy a new house.	2nd conjugation
Ní bheidh mé ann.	I won't be there.	Irregular: bí
An rachaidh tú?	Will you go?	Irregular: téigh
Tiocfaidh lá eile.	Another day will come.	Irregular: tar
Gheobhaidh mé é amárach.	I will get it tomorrow.	Irregular: faigh
Ní dhéanfaidh sé é sin.	He won't do that.	Negative + lenition
An gceannóidh tú ceann dom?	Will you buy one for me?	Question + eclipsis
Íosfaimid ar a sé.	We will eat at six.	1st person plural
Feicfidh mé thú amárach.	I will see you tomorrow.	Irregular: feic

Common Mistakes

Using past tense particles in the future

• Wrong: Níor bheidh mé ann
• Right: Ní bheidh mé ann.
• Why: The future tense uses ní (not níor) for negatives and an (not ar) for questions.

Confusing 1st and 2nd conjugation endings

• Wrong: Ceannfaidh mé (applying 1st conj. ending to 2nd conj. verb)
• Right: Ceannóidh mé.
• Why: Second conjugation verbs (those ending in -igh or polysyllabic roots) use -óidh/-eoidh, not -faidh/-fidh.

Forgetting irregular future stems

• Wrong: Téighfidh mé (regularizing "téigh")
• Right: Rachaidh mé.
• Why: The eleven irregular verbs have unique future stems that must be memorized.

Usage Notes

In Munster Irish, you may hear synthetic (combined) future forms: déanfad instead of déanfaidh mé (I will do). The first person singular synthetic form is common in southern dialects. In Connacht and Ulster, the analytic form with the separate pronoun is standard.

Practice Tips

1. Take ten regular verbs and form the future tense of each, paying attention to whether they are first or second conjugation.
2. Write a short paragraph about your plans for tomorrow using at least five different future tense verbs.

Related Concepts

• Past Tense — the past tense that the future tense contrasts with