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Definition 2025

arbh

arbh

Irish

Alternative forms

ar bh’ (superseded)

Particle

arbh ‎(past/conditional copular form used before vowels and fh plus vowel)

Introduces an indirect relative clause; past/conditional tense
an fear arbh iascaire a mhac‎
the man whose son was a fisherman
Introduces a direct or indirect interrogative; past/conditional tense

Arbh fhearr leat cupán tae?‎
Would you prefer a cup of tea?

Níl a fhios agam arbh fhearr léi cupán tae.‎
I don’t know if she would prefer a cup of tea.

Derived terms

charbh

Related terms

Irish copular forms

Simple copular forms

Present/future
	Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative	Neg. inter.
Main clauses	is	ní	an	nach
Direct relative clauses	is	nach
Indirect relative clauses	ar, arb^v
Other subordinate clauses	gur, gurb^v		an	nach
Past/conditional
	Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative	Neg. inter.
Main clauses	ba, b’^v	níor, níorbh^v	ar, arbh^v	nár, nárbh^v
Direct relative clauses	ba, ab^v	nár, nárbh^v
Indirect relative clauses	ar, arbh^v
Other subordinate clauses	gur, gurbh^v		ar, arbh^v	nár, nárbh^v
Present subjunctive
	Affirmative	Negative
	gura, gurab^v	nára, nárab^v

Compound copular forms

Base word	Present/future	Past/conditional
má	más	má ba, má b’^v
ó ‎(“since”)	ós	ó ba, ó b’^v
dá		dá mba, dá mb’^v
mura	mura, murab^v	murar, murarbh^v
cé	cér, cérb^v	cér, cérbh^v
cá	cár, cárb^v	cár, cárbh^v
de/do	dar, darb^v	dar, darbh^v
faoi	faoinar, faoinarb^v	faoinar, faoinarbh^v
i	inar, inarb^v	inar, inarbh^v
le	lenar, lenarb^v	lenar, lenarbh^v
ó ‎(“from”)	ónar, ónarb^v	ónar, ónarbh^v
trí	trínar, trínarb^v	trínar, trínarbh^v

Note: Forms marked ^v are used before a vowel sound.

References

"arbh" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.