Lesson #10 from Ó Siadhail:

Dhá mbeadh Máirtín anseo, bheadh Cáit sásta.

If Martin were here, Cait would be content.

Lesson #8:

Má bhíonn Máirtin ann, bíonn (beidh) Cáit sásta.

If Martin is there, Cait is (will be) pleased.

The book says that Dhá is followed by the conditional but I don't see much difference between the translations of Lesson 10 and 8.

It sound to me like they are all conditional. IF something THEN something else....that's what I understand to be a conditional state.

Can anyone clarify?

Go raibh mile maith agaibh.

James

James a chara,

The difference is purely one of verb tense: you may not use the word "dhá" with any tense except the conditional, and conversely, "má" may be used with any tense except the conditional (though it wouldn't generally be used with the future tense). If you consider carefully there is in fact a difference between the two examples you gave:

If Martin were here, Cait would be happy (the implication being that Martin is NOT here)

Other examples of this type of construction might be:

If I were a cat, I would be black
If I were rich, I would live in a mansion
If it were to rain, the crops would survive
If I had a car, I wouldn't have to walk...etc. etc..

The second construction is slightly different:

If Martin is (habitually) there, Cait is happy.

This might also be expressed in English (and is perhaps better expressed as): When Martin is there, Cait is happy. Instead of talking about a situation which is neither happening nor likely to happen, you're talking about something which happens occasionally or regularly, or which might reasonably be expected to happen. Some examples which might help illustrate the difference are (off the top of my head) :

If the day is nice, we'll go walking (use má)

If the day were nice, I would go walking (use dhá)
(but it's not, so I won't)

If I'm hungry at 1pm, I'll meet you for lunch (má)
(I may be hungry or I may not)

If I were hungry, I would meet you for lunch (dhá)
(but I'm not, so I won't)

If Sarah has the flu, we'll rent a movie instead of going out (má)

If Sarah had the flu, we'd rent a movie instead of going out (dhá)
(but she doesn't, so we'll go out)

If it's raining, we'll stay home (má)

If it were raining, we'd stay home (dhá)
(but it's not, so we'll go out)

Hope that helps a little. Perhaps think of dhá as the "wishful thinking" option!

Mise le meas,
Nicole

It seems this is yet another case of meaning over translation. Your illustration of the differences between the two is excellent. I had not considered it from that perspective. Very nicely done. Makes perfect sense.

Go raibh mile maith agat!

James

James, a chara,

I found it useful to remember it as Má - Maybe and Dhá - Doubtful.

Le meas,

Larry.