Broad and slender verbs
tóg
To decide if a A word used to describe an action or state of being. is broad or slender:
- remove the ending, -igh / -aigh / -ai / -i (if there is an ending)
- look at the last A letter representing a speech sound made when breath flows freely out of the mouth. The letters a, e, i, o, u are vowels.
- if the last vowel is a, o, u the verb is broad - for example glan, ceartaigh, críochnaigh, múscail
- If the last vowel is i, e the verb is slender - for example bris, bailigh, cuir, éirigh, imir
To sum up:
broad - the last vowel is a, o, u
slender - the last vowel is i, e
Examples
| cuir | the last vowel is i | = slender verb |
| glan | the last vowel is a | = broad verb |
| tóg | the last vowel is o | = broad verb |
| éirigh | remove the ending –igh, the last vowel is i | = slender verb |
| críochnaigh | remove the ending –aigh, the last vowel is o | = broad verb |
| bailigh | remove the ending –igh, the last vowel is i | = slender verb |
| oscail | remove the ending –ai, the last vowel is o | = broad verb |
| imir | remove the i, the last vowel is i | = slender verb |
| cuir |
| the last vowel is i |
| = slender verb |
| glan |
| the last vowel is a |
| = broad verb |
| tóg |
| the last vowel is o |
| = broad verb |
| éirigh |
| remove the ending –igh, the last vowel is i |
| = slender verb |
| críochnaigh |
| remove the ending –aigh, the last vowel is o |
| = broad verb |
| bailigh |
| remove the ending –igh, the last vowel is i |
| = slender verb |
| oscail |
| remove the ending –ai, the last vowel is o |
| = broad verb |
| imir |
| remove the i, the last vowel is i |
| = slender verb |