Irish Copula Explained: The 'Is' Made Easy!

[00:00:00]The copula, otherwise known as is, made easy, cuidge a h- When there's several parts to a made easy explanation, you know it's probably not that easy, but anyway. Firstly, what is the copula or is? Well, it's one of our two ways of saying what in English is just the verb to be. So, while in Irish, I can use the verb be, most people know it as tá. For example, tá mé go maith. Also, the chance when I'm using the verb to be in English, it'll translate as is. So, for example, tá mé go maith, I am good. What I am a man is fear mé. So, how do I know which one to use? A lot of people make it very complicated for themselves and think about, well, is this action or is this noun defining what the person, place, or thing is? That can get quite ambiguous and quite subjective as well.

[00:00:46]So, much easier way that'll work almost all the time is this golden rule for is versus tá. All you do is look at the sentence in English and look at what you have after the verb to be. If you have a noun there, we're going to use the copula. If you don't have a noun anywhere, we're going to use the normal verb be, otherwise known as tá.

[00:01:07]Classic example, the game is good and it is a good game. Let's look at the game is good firstly and do our test. We have the verb to be in the middle there. What do we have afterwards? We have good. Do we have a noun there? No, we don't.

[00:01:20]Therefore, we're going to use tá. Tá an cluiche go maith.

[00:01:25]But then, if we look at it is a good game, after the is, I have a good game.

[00:01:29]Do I have a noun in there? Yes, that means I'm going to use the copula. I also have an adjective, but I can have a million adjectives. Is is a good, long, interesting game. It doesn't matter because I have game there and because I have a noun, I'm going to use the copula. Is cluiche maith é.