is

pres. ind v def. & irreg.
Thus conjugated:
IND pres is mi, I am; is tu, you are (sing); is e, he is; is i, she is; is sinn, we are; is sibh, you are (pl); is iad, they are.
IND past bu mhi, it was I; bu tu, it was you (sing) etc. [Also used with a present meaning, see note ¹ below].
SUBJ pres mas mi, if it be I; mas tu, if it be you (sing) etc. Ged is mi etc, though it is I etc.
SUBJ past nam bu mhi, if it were I etc.
INTERR pres am mi? is it I? an tu? is it you (sing)? an e, is it he? etc. Nach mi? is it not I? etc.
INTERR past am bu¹ mhi, was it I? etc nach bu¹ mhi? was it not I? etc.
NEG pres cha mhi, it is not I etc.
NEG past, cha bu¹ mhi, it was not I etc.
It is remarkable that in the pres interr and negative no part of the verb is is seen at all, the conjunctions am, cha, nach, gur, mur, etc with the pronouns annexed to them, convey the sense as distinctly as if the verb were expressed. Nach e seo an t-each bàn? (is) not this the white horse? This omission of the verb to be occurs in the same way in Welsh, as, nid bara a brynwyd, (it was) not bread that was bought.
Is is used in describing the name, profession, identity, state or condition under which objects definitely exist or did exist — Is mise Peadar, I am Peter; is tu mo bhràthair, you are my brother; is caiptean am fear ud, yon fellow is a captain; is iarann seo, this is iron; bu chlachair e, he was a mason; bu nàmhaid e, he was a foe; cha bu robairean iad, they were not robbers. When the subject is pointedly and emphatically expressed or addressed, the verb is is used, as, is tusa an duine, you are the man. In many cases tha cannot be used in place of is. We cannot say, tha thusa an duine, tha thu mo rùn, tha seo umha etc, we must say, is tusa an duine, is tu mo rùn, is umha seo &c. When an adjective is in the predicate, either bi or is may be used, as tha a' chlach seo mór or is mór a' chlach i seo, this stone is great; tha do cheum mall or is mall do cheum, your step it slow; but in all such cases when is is used the meaning is more emphatic. Is implies a more permanent state than tha; contrast “is leam e” with “tha e agam”; and “is i is màthair dhomh” with “tha i 'na màthair dhomh.”
Is ann chan ann, the fact is that it is not so; is math an airidh, it is well deserved; is math an airidh e, he well deserves it; mas fìor dhut e, if it is the truth (as told) to you; càite an tàmh dhut? where is your abode? an slàn dhut? are you well? nach e seo an t-each bàn? it not this the white horse? cha bu dheamhna dhuinn air móran barrachd, it would not be good enough for us even though much more were offered (lit. for much more); nam b' fhìor sin, or ma b' fhìor sin, were it not a sham. ¹ Bu is also used with a present meaning, as, cha bu tu mi, 's cha bu mhi an cù, you are not I and I am no cur — a Celtic way of telling a man be is a hound; cha bu tu bean a' mharsanta mhóir, you are not as the big merchant's wife — you do not do as she does. Bu is, of course, an entirely different word to is, but as it is generally treated by grammarians as the past tense of is, examples of its use have been inserted here under that word, to enable readers to find them without difficulty.
Some idiomatic uses of is:
is àbhaist dhomh, I use, am wont. is àbhaist dhà, he is used or wont. b' àbhaist dhomh, I used, was wont. is ag leam, I doubt. is àill leam, I wish, desire. is ait leam, I rejoice, am glad. is aithne dhomh, I know, am acquainted with. is aithreach leam, I repent. is annsa leam, I prefer. is àrd leam (e), I think (it) high. is beag leam, I think it too little. is beag orm, I hate, dislike. is beò dhomh, I live, am in life. is binn leam (e), I like, think (it) melodious. is caomh leam, I love, like. is còir dhomh, I ought. is coma leam, I care not, do not like; is coma leam dol 'na dhàil, I don't have anything to do with him. is cruaidh leam, I am sorry. is cuimhne leam, I remember. is dàna leam, it is presumptuous of me, I dare. Usually used in the negative — cha bu dàna leam, I would not dare. is daor leam (e), I think (it) dear. is deòin leam, I am willing, wish. is dòcha leam, I suppose, think, think it probable. is docha leam, I prefer. is dual dhomh, it is natural to me. is duilich leam, I regret, am sorry or vexed. is eagal leam, I fear, am afraid. is éigin dhomh, I must. is éis dhomh, I delay, am detained. is eòl dhomh, I know, am acquainted with. is fada leam, I long. is feàrr dhomh, it is better for me. is fheàrr leam, I am more glad, had rather, I rather wish, prefer. is fhiach leam, I value, condescend. is fiach dhomh, it is worth my while. is fuath leam, I hate, dislike. is gàbhaidh leam, I wonder, am surprised. is gann orm a chreidsinn, I can hardly believe it, is gasta leam, I delight. is gràin leam, I abhor, disdain. is ion dhomh, it becomes me. is leam, I own, possess permanently. Am fear leis an leis mi, the man whose I am. is leas dhomh, I ought. is léir dhomh, I see, perceive. is leisg leam, I am loathe. is lugha orm, I hate more. is math leam (gu), I am glad (that), wish, am willing. is miann leam, I wish or desire. is mithich dhomh, it is time for me. is motha leam, I think more of. is mór leam, I think it too much; is mór leam e, I think much of it, or too much of it. is nàir leam, I think it a shame. is nàrach dhomh, I am ashamed. is neònach leam, I wonder, am surprised. is òg leam (e), I think (it) young. is olc leam, I regret. is tagh leam, see is toigh leam. is taitneach leam (e), (it) is pleasant to me. is toigh leam, I prefer, like or love. is trom leam sin, I think that heavy. is truagh leam, I pity, am to be pitied. is ullamh le neach, one is prone to, or ready.

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