a raibh / a bhí

Trotter

Ceist ghairid!

What are the rules for using 'a raibh' or 'a bhi'?

For example.. Cén tiortha a raibh ag imirt / Cén tiortha a bhí ag imirt (Which countries were playing)


GRMA!

is_that_so

Not 100% sure here but IIRC "bhí" is used with information questions and positive past forms and "raibh" with Yes/No questions and with negative past forms.

Trotter

So in this case, "Cén tiortha a bhí ag imirt " is correct?


Gabh mo Béarla

is_that_so

Yes in answer to your question.
However in that case you could also say
"An móran tiortha a bhí ag imirt?"
Now I am not sure if this is standard Irish but it is Connemara Irish and it may be colloquial, but I believe it is used like this when a yes answer is expected, almost like an English question tag "There were lots of countries playing ,weren't there?"

Múinteoir

Trotter wrote: »

So in this case, "Cén tiortha a bhí ag imirt " is correct?

Yes it is. Though it should be 'Cé na tíortha a bhí ag imirt?'. 'Cén' is a
combination of 'Cé + an' and should only be used in the singular, since 'an' is the singular article. Using 'cén' with a plural noun, is like writing 'an tíortha'.

The main/difference between a bhí/a raibh as you mentioned above, is that when there is an indirect statement being made, raibh is used. See here:

Sin é an fear. Bhí a mhac tinn. - That is the man. His son was sick. (Both direct statements)

Sin é an fear a raibh a mhac tinn. - That is the man whose son was sick. (Indirect statement, so raibh is used).

In the current tense it would be 'tá/bhfuil' or 'bhíonn/mbíonn'


Its similar to the way that you indirectly quote speech in Irish:

"Bhí mé fuar" arsa Pól. - "I was cold", said Paul. (Direct quotation)
Dúirt Pól go raibh sé fuar. - Paul said that he was cold. (Indirect quotation)

The indirect form is also used after certain words that have an indirect nature to them:

Cén áit a raibh tú? (literally, What place is it in which you were?)

Cén fáth a ndearna tú é? (What is the reason for which you did it?)


Does that make it any clearer?

Trotter

Múinteoir wrote: »

Yes it is. Though it should be 'Cé na tíortha a bhí ag imirt?'. 'Cén' is a
combination of 'Cé + an' and should only be used in the singular, since 'an' is the singular article. Using 'cén' with a plural noun, is like writing 'an tíortha'.

The main/difference between a bhí/a raibh as you mentioned above, is that when there is an indirect statement being made, raibh is used. See here:

Sin é an fear. Bhí a mhac tinn. - That is the man. His son was sick. (Both direct statements)

Sin é an fear a raibh a mhac tinn. - That is the man whose son was sick. (Indirect statement, so raibh is used).

In the current tense it would be 'tá/bhfuil' or 'bhíonn/mbíonn'


Its similar to the way that you indirectly quote speech in Irish:

"Bhí mé fuar" arsa Pól. - "I was cold", said Paul. (Direct quotation)
Dúirt Pól go raibh sé fuar. - Paul said that he was cold. (Indirect quotation)

The indirect form is also used after certain words that have an indirect nature to them:

Cén áit a raibh tú? (literally, What place is it in which you were?)

Cén fáth a ndearna tú é? (What is the reason for which you did it?)


Does that make it any clearer?

Fantastic.. thanks for going to so much bother

Múinteoir

Trotter wrote: »

Fantastic.. thanks for going to so much bother

Níl a bhuíochas ort.

Don't mention it.

Poll Dubh

These lists should help.

Followed by independent (a bhí): Cé, cad (cad é), céard, cén t-am, cén uair, cathain, cad é mar, conas, cé mhéad, cé chomh minic is, cén fhad, nuair, má, ó.

Followed by dependent (a raibh): an , ní, nach, cá, go, dá, mura, cén áit, cén fáth, cad chuige, cén dóigh, cén tslí, cen chaoi.

tolosenc

Céard faoi:
"Cé ba ea iad na tíortha a raibh ag imirt?"

Actually, ag léamh é, táimse cinnte go bhfuil sé mícheart.