A cairde:

I am trying to get an understanding of using a Present Perfect verb in Irish. I heard these two types of sentences in the Donegal Gaeltacht and I'm not sure of the difference. I don't remember exactly how I heard the second one so just comment on the applicable one.

1. Tá an féar bainte agam. "I have the hay cut".

2. Tá mé i ndiaidh an féar a bhaint. "I'm after the hay to cut".
Tá mé i ndiaidh ag baint an féar. "I'm after cutting the hay".

Would either of these translate to: I have cut the hay?

Then as a corallary, how would I express the following past perfect and future perfect in Irish? I don't even know if they exist:

3. I had cut the hay.

4. I will have cut the hay.

Slán, agus go raibh maith agat,
Faberm

Both 1 & 2 would translate to "I have cut the hay".

But I would understand (1) as "job done" and (2) as "Job just finished".

3) I think what you want is "Bhí an féar bainte agam" (and then I did something else)

4. Beidh an féar bainte agam

Errors & Omissions excepted!

Go raibh maith agat a Aonghus!

quote:

Tá mé i ndiaidh ag baint an féar

This sentence isn't correct, you have to say "Tá mé i ndiaidh an féar a bhaint".

The sentence "tá mé i ndiaidh baint an fhéir" is grammatically right but it sounds odd to me.

Lughaidh:

Thanks, And also I'd appreciate your comments on "Tá mé i ndiaidh ag baint an féar." (Meaning, "I've just cut the hay".) Aonghus says it is fine, but someone on the Learners Site said it was "dodgey". I'm just trying to understand what can be said, and it sounds okay to me for that. Left me a bit confused. It has a "present perfect" feeling to it when used that way. In Gleann Fhinne, it was of course VERY common to hear the "Tá an féar baint agam" construction.

"Tá mé i ndiaidh an féar a bhaint"

We probably get used to saying somethings in a set phrase and then other ways, even though they may be correct, sound odd to us.

Tá mé i ndiaidh mo dhinnéar a ithe.
Tá mé i ndiaidh an teach a phéinteáil.

Actually I prefer "Tá mé théis..."

quote:

Aonghus says it is fine

Not so. I was commenting on "Tá mé i ndiaidh an féar a bhaint", I overlooked the other sentence!