ba / b'

Past and Conditional Copula

Level 5

Ba and elided b' express past or conditional copular meanings: Ba mhúinteoir í; B'aoibhinn liom é. Context and following sounds determine the form.

How It Works

Ba and elided b' express past or conditional copular meanings: Ba mhúinteoir í; B'aoibhinn liom é. Context and following sounds determine the form.

Ba can express past classification or a conditional evaluation. Before a suitable vowel sound it appears as b'. The construction and context determine which English tense is appropriate: Ba mhúinteoir í describes a past role, whereas B'aoibhinn liom é can express that something would delight me.

Examples (3)

  1. Ba mhúinteoir í.

    She was a teacher.

  2. Ba dhochtúir é.

    He was a doctor.

  3. B'aoibhinn liom é.

    I would love it.

How It Connects

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ba / b'Level 5Past and Conditional Copula

Learn This First

Move a copular classification into past or hypothetical time.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

ba