If the Irish language were a pub, the modh coinníollach would be the lad in the corner who’ll only buy you a pint if you buy him one first. It’s the tense of hypotheticals, the grammar of “yeah, but…” — perfect for a culture that loves a good “what if?” more than actual commitment.
In English, you’d say, I would go. In Irish, you’d channel your inner conditional mood: Rachainn—literally, “I would go… if the stars aligned, if the wind was right, if you made me tea.” Every verb in the sentence gets a makeover, usually by throwing in an extra syllable and summoning up the delivery from the depths of your intestines.
The rules? Oh, they exist. First conjugation verbs get their endings shifted like chairs at a céilí, while second conjugation verbs pull out all the stops by slapping on the obligatory -óinn, -eoinn, or -fainn depending on your mood. Then, of course, you sprinkle in dá (if) like salt on chips, and suddenly you’re away in a hack, thrashing out conditional linguistic moods like a back stage diva.
It’s not just about verbs. It’s about attitude and delivery. The modh coinníollach lets you say things without actually committing to them. D’íosfainn an cáca sin… ach táim ar aiste bia (I would eat that cake… but I’m on a diet). You’re basically building grammatical escape hatches and linguistic loopholes of non-commitment.
In a way, the modh coinníollach is peak Irishness—polite, indirect but with an undertone of “don’t effin' push me.” It’s an entire tense devoted to hedging your bets and keeping your options open.
So next time you’re taking an Eve Irish class and the teacher introduces the conditional, don’t groan. Embrace it. Learn it. Love it. Because in life, as in Irish, there’s nothing more powerful than being able to say exactly what you would do… without actually doing it.
Modh Coinníollach: A winning Formula
Dá + [past subjunctive clause], + [conditional verb clause] + [twist] (+ [reality check])
Example:
Dá mbeinn i mo mhilliúnaí, cheannóinn caisleán in aice leis an bhfarraige, chuirfinn Jacuzzi ar an díon… ach faoi láthair, táim i mo chónaí i m’árasán bheag le radharc ar Lidl.
(If I were a millionaire, I’d buy a castle by the sea, put a Jacuzzi on the roof… but for now, I live in a small apartment with a view of Lidl.)
A modh coinníollach black belt knows exactly what they would do .... if ....