Wir Ain Leid

Verbs

Verbs indicate an action, occurrence or state. Events can be placed:

in present time i.e. the present tense e.g. is (is).
in past time i.e. the past tense e.g. wis or hae / hiv (was or have).
as having taken place in the past but are relevant to the present time, the perfect. e.g. haes (has).

Scots often uses the continuous tense where English would have a simple tense.

A'm thinkin means much the same as 'I imagine' in English.
A'm doutin means much the same as 'I'm afraid' in English.

A'm thinkin we wad been telt tae gang
I imagine we would have been told to leave.

A'm doutin that thare will be wittins anent the mishanter.
I'm afraid there will be news about the accident.

This also occurs with other tenses and verbs.

A'll pit ma buits on the morn, an be rinnin ower the muir.
I'll put my boots on tomorrow and run over the moor.

Ye wad git a sair fricht, gin he wis comin alive again.
You would get a terrible fright if he came back to life.

The past tense and the past perfect of strong verbs.

Strong verbs form the past and past perfect by changing their vowels.
In some verbs the past perfect is formed by adding n after aw and r.

Infinitive Past Past perfect

(Present tense) (Past tense) (past participle)

be be wis, war been

bate beat bate baten

beir bear, carry buir born

begin begin begoud began

bid bid bid, bade bidden

bind bind band bund

blaw blow blew blawn

bluid bleed bled bled

bide endure bade bidden

can can coud

cast cast cuist cuisten

come come cam, come(d) cam, come(n)

ding strike dang dung

draw draw drew drawn

drink drink drank drucken, drunken

drive drive druive druive, driv

faw fall fell fawn

fesh fetch fuish fuishen

find find fand fund

flee fly flew flewen

fling fling flang flung

forgit forget forgat forgotten

freeze freeze fruize frozen

git got gat gotten

greet cry grat grutten

hide hide hade, hod hidden, hodden

hit hit hit, hat hitten

lat let luit latten

mistak mistake misteuk mistaen

quit rid, quit quat quat, quitten

read read rade read(en)

rin run ran, run ran, run

ride ride rade rid(den)

shae shoe shod shoddit

shall* shall shoud

shear shear, clip shuir shorn

sit sit sat sitten

slide slide slade slidden

speak speak spak spoken

spleet split splat splet

staund stand stuid stuiden

straw strew strawed strawn

strick strike strack stricken

strive strive struive striven

sweir swear swuire sworn

tak tak teuk taen

teir tear tuir torn

thresh thrash thruish thruishen

thrive thrive thruive thri'en, thriven

weir wear wuir worn

win reach / won wan wun

write write wrat(e) written

* Also older forms sall and s(o)ud /suld.

The past tense and the past perfect of weak verbs. Drookit Dug

Verbs that end with b, d, g, k, p and t by adding it.
Verbs that end with il, en, ch, sh, ss and f by adding t.
Verbs that end with a consonant followed by le change their ending to elt.
Verbs that end with r have either t or (e)d, especially in the south.
Otherwise by the addition of ed or d where the infinitive ends with a vowel sound or silent e.
Verbs that end with ee by adding 'd.
Verbs of French or Latin origin do not add t, it, d or ed in the past perfect.
The past perfect of some verbs is formed by adding ed, en or n after aw.
In some dialects the ending (e)d may be pronounced /t/.

Infinitive Past Past perfect

acquent acquaint acquentit acquent

awe owe aucht aucht

bend bend bent bent

birrie bury birriet birriet

bou bow, bend boud boud

burn burn brunt brunt

buy buy bocht bocht

byle boil bylt bylt

caw call, drive cawed cawed

cairy carry cairit cairit

dee die dee'd dee'd

dow to be able to docht docht

drap drop drappit drappit

dreid dread dreidit dreidit

droun drown drount drount, droundit

fash trouble, bother fasht fasht

fear fear / scared feart feart

fill fill filt filt

gae* go gaed gane, went

gar compel gart gart

gaither gather gaithert gaithert

hae have haed haen, haed

hurt hurt hurtit hurtit

keep keep keep(i)t keep(i)t

keek peep keekit keekit

ken know kent kent

kill kill kilt kilt

laid load laid(it) laid(it), laiden

lear learn leart leart

leave, lea' leave left left

lee lie (fib) lee'd lee'd

licht light lichtit lichtit

lift lift liftit liftit

lig lay liggit liggit

loss lose lost lost

lue love lued lued

lowse loosen lowsed lowsed

leuk look leukit leukit

like like likit likit

mairy marry mairit mairit

mean mean meant meant

mend mend, repair ment, mendit ment, mendit

mey may micht

miss miss misst misst

mynd mind, remember mynt, myndit mynt, myndit

need** need needit needit

pent paint pentit pentit

pey pay peyed peyed

pou pull poud poud

rap rap rappit rappit

redd arrange redd redd

rot rot rottit rotten

rowe roll rowed rowed

saw saw (wood) sawed sawn

say say said sain, said

see*** see saw, see'd, seen seen

seek seek socht socht(en)

send send sent sent

ser serve serred serred

shae shoe shod shodden

shairp sharp shairpit shairpit

singe singe singed singed

skail spill skailt skailt

sleep sleep sleepit sleepit

slip slip slippit slippit

souk suck soukit soukit

soum swim soumed soumed

soop sweep soopit soopit

speir inquire, ask speirt speirt

spyle spoil spylt spylt

stang sting stang(i)t stangit

stap step stappit stappit

stap stop stappit stappit

streek stretch streekit, straucht straucht

taigle hinder taigelt taigelt

think think thocht thocht

traivel travel, walk traivelt traivelt

tread tread treadit, tread treadit, treaden

tuim empty tuimt tuimt

uise**** use uised uised

wad wed wad(dit) wad(dit)

wale choose waled waled

wirk***** work wrocht wrocht

wirth to befall wort word

wiss wish wisst wisst

yird bury yirdit yirdit

The Tappit Hen, Edinburgh * Gang ([gaŋ, gan], Mid Northern [gjaŋ, gɪŋ]) is an alternative for gae.

** In Mid Northern Scots note is used for the past tense and note(n) for the past perfect of need.

*** The verb see is used colloquially to indicate a desire to be handed something.

See's ower thon jurnal.
Pass me that magazine over. Coud ye see's the teapat?
Could you pass me the teapot?

**** Note the difference between the verb uise (use) and the noun uiss (use).
Uised wi means 'used to' in the sense of being in the habit of or familiar with. Uisst tae means 'used to' in the sense of something fulfilling a function or something that occurred in the past.
***** Note the difference between the verb wirk (work) and the noun wark (work).

Some verbs have both strong and weak forms, especially in the past perfect.

Infinitive Past Past perfect

eat eat ett, eatit eaten

bake bake beuk, bakit beuk, baken

big build bug, biggit biggen, biggit

brak break breuk, brak brucken, brak

bring bring brang, brocht(en) brung, brocht(en)

bide stay bid, bade bid, bade, bidden

burst burst barst, brast, burstit bursten, burstit

catch catch cotch, caucht, catcht, cotch(en), caucht, catcht

chuise choose chuise, chuist chosen, chuist

cleid clothe cled, cleidit cled, cleidit

cleek hook, link claucht, cleekit claucht, cleekit

craw crow crew, crawt crawn

creep creep crap, creepit cruppen, creepit

come come cam, comed come(n), comed

dae do did, duin duin

daur* dare durst daurd*, durst

drink drink drank drunken, drucken

fecht fight focht, feucht, fechtit fochten, feuchten, fechtit

flit move home flittit flittit, flitten

flyte scold flait, flytit flytit

gie give gae, gied gien, gied

growe grow grew, growed grawn, growed

grip seize grap, grippit grippen, grippit

haud hold held, haudit hauden

hear hear haurd, heard
[hi:rd or he:rd] haurd, heard

hing hang hang, hingit hung, hingit

lauch laugh leuch, laucht leuchen, laucht

leap leap lap(e), leapit lip(pen), leapit

lowp jump lowpit lowpen, lowpit

mak make made, makkit made

maw mow mew, mawed mawn

pit put pat, pit pat, pit(ten)

pruive prove pruived pruived, pruiven

quit rid, quit quat(e) quat, quitten

rive tear ruive, rived riven, rived

sawe sew sew, sawed sawn, sawed

sclim climb sclam, sclimmt sclum, sclimmt

sell sell sauld, selt sauld, selt

set set set set(ten)

shak shake sheuk, shakkit shakken, sheuken, shakkit

shape shape shape shapen, shapit

shew sew shewed shewn, shewed

shuit shoot shot, shuitit shot(ten), shuitit

sing sing sang, singit sung, singit

snaw snow snew, snawed snawn, snawed

spreid spread sprad, spreidit sprad, spreidit

spit spit spat, spittit spitten, spittit

stick stick stack, stickit stack, sticken, stickit

steal steal staw, stealt stowen, stealt

sweit sweat swat(tit) swatten, sweitit

teach teach taucht, teacht taucht, teacht

tell tell tauld, telt tauld, telt

thraw throw, twist threw, thrawed threwen, thrawn

threid thread threidit thred, threidit

treat treat treat(it) treat

tyne lose tyned, tint tyned, tint

wash wash wuish, washt wuishen, washt

weed weed wed, weedit wed, weedit

weet wet wat, weetit wat(ten), weetit

wind wind wand, windit wund, windit

*The past perefect of daur when followed by a noun or complex verb phrase is daurd.

In simple sentences Scots prefers the word order Subject - verb - adverb - (adjective) object.

He sneckit aff the licht.
He switched the light off.

She hingit oot the washin.
She hung the washing out.

The wirkers heezed up the wechty stanes.
The workers hoisted the heavy stones up.

English prefers Subject - verb - (adjective) object - adverb.

The infinitive marker, for tae (used with verbs) means 'in order to'.

He cam for tae eat his denner.
He came to eat his dinner. A gaed for tae git it.
I went to get it.

The war room for tae git yer haund in.
There was space to get your hand in.

Ye'll come for tae mak up a gemme.
You'll come to make up a game.

He ettelt for tae gang.
He meant to go. Thay aw gaed for tae see't.
They all went to see it.

Note that want and need are regularly followed by a past participle (referring to an action that is past).

The bairn wants taen hame at fower oors.
The child would like to be be taken home at four o' clock.

Ma caur needs washt.
My car needs to be washed.

In Scots want also has the meaning 'to be lacking'.

A didna want the will but A wantit the means.
I didn't lack the will but I lacked the means.

Sae lang's fowk's born barefit the souter winna want a job.
As long as people are born barefoot the cobbler won't lack a job.

The young bride disna want tae dae wantin the new shuin an muntin.
The young bride doesn't want to do without the new shoes and trousseau.

Note the uses of leuk and seem.

It leuks like thay winna come.
It looks as if they won't come.

It seems like naebody's hame.
It seems as if no one is at home.

The prefix be can be used before verbs to strengthen them and to make nouns into verbs.

A begrudge no gaun tae see ma grannie.
I regret not going to visit my grandmother.

The Pape's gaun tae besaunt thon mairtyr.
The Pope is going to canonise that martyr.

She beteacht aw her siller til the man frae the insurance.
She entrusted all her money to the insurance agent.

Ye'll hae tae besmairten yersel afore ye gae oot.
You'll have to tidy yourself up before you go out.

The rievers bewaves thair veectims.
The robbers lay in wait for their victims.

Dinna ettle tae begowk me.
Don't attempt to fool me.

The verb inflexion s. (Northern Subject Rule)

When a verb immediately follows a personal pronoun in the present tense, the verb remains the same.

A come first.
I come first. We gang thare.
We go there.

A ken that fine.
I know that well. We ken that fine.
We know that well.

Thay come for tae dae't.
They come to do it. Thay say he's ower auld.
They say he is too old.

Thay are comin an aw.
They are coming too. The laddies? Thay'v went.
The boys? They have gone.

The verb ending s, occurs:

In all persons of the plural except immediately following a personal pronoun (see above).

Thaim that says he's ower auld.
Those who say he is too old.

It's us that gangs til the schuil.
It's us who go to school.

You anes says that ilka day.
You ones say that every day. Us auld fowk kens that fine.
We old people know that well.

That's whit thay caws it here.
That is what they call it here. It's us that says sae.
It's us who say so.

Thaim that dis thair hamewark gits sweeties efter.
Those who do their homework receive sweets afterwards.

It's thaim an us that haes aw the graith.
It's us and them who have all the equipment

Where the subject of the verb includes two pronouns.

Me an you kens that fine.
You and I know that well. Thaim an us gangs thegither.
Us and them go together.

Him an her gies nae grief.
Him and her don't cause trouble.

Me an her dis bonnie pentins.
Her and I do nice paintings.

Thaim an him haes braw motors.
He and they have nice cars.

Where the subject is a plural noun.

Weemen kens that fine.
Women know that well. Ma brakes haes went.
My brakes have gone.

Fowk that comes unbidden, sits unserred.
People who come uninvited, sit unserved.

Auld men dees an bairns suin forgits.
Old men die and children soon forget.

Whan the kye comes hame.
When the cows come home.

As the days lenthens the cauld strenthens.
As the days get longer the cold gets stronger.

Fowk that haes sair feet canna daunder.
People who have sore feet can't go for walks.

Bairns that dis guid gangs tae hieven.
Children who do good go to heaven.

Where the plural pronoun is separated from the verb by some other word or words.

Us twa whiles gangs thare.
Us two sometimes go there.

Us three whiles haes pizza.
Us three sometimes have pizza.

You anes says whit you means.
You ones say what you mean.

You anes aye dis that on a Seturday.
You ones always do that on a Saturday.

Some fowk frae Jeddart thinks he's richt, but ithers frae here mainteens the contrair.
Some people from Jedburgh thinks he's right, but others from here maintain the opposite.

Where the infinitive is used for a narrative past the verb sometimes takes the ending s even in the first person singular and after a single personal pronoun.

A niver sees him nou.
I never see him now. An in we comes.
And in we came.

Cut that oot the nou A says.
Stop that now I said.

A says no tae come the morn.
I said not to come tomorrow.

The present indicative (the mood of the present tense expressing fact).

The present indicative is usually formed by adding s to the infinitive.

Infinitive Present indicative

eat eat eats eats

gie give gies gives

greet cry greets crys

hae have haes has

juidge judge juidges judges

lowp leap lowps leaps

pech pant pechs pants

skail spill skails spills

skelloch scream skellochs screams

shak shake shaks shakes

smue smile smues smiles

smuirich kiss smuirichs kisses

wirk work wirks works

wiss wish wisses wishes

She dis that aw the time.
She does that all the time. He kens whaur tae gang.
He knows where to go.

She washes the fluir ilka Monanday.
She washes the floor every Monday.

It peys tae tak tent o yer caur.
It pays to look after your car.

Interrogative sentences (questions) may begin with a verb instead of an auxiliary.

Think ye sae?
Do you think so? Cam ye by Athol?
Did you come past Athol?

Negative verbs.

Single syllable verbs used to be negated by affixing na or nae.

A carena a tait.
I don't care a bit. He kensna whaur she is.
He doesn't know where she is.

A amna duin yit.
I'm not finished yet. He'll carena a tait.
He won't care a bit.

These are now usually replaced by modal verb forms or no.

A dinna care a tait.
I don't care a bit. He disna ken whaur she is.
He doesn't know where she is.

A'm no duin yit.
I'm not finished yet. He'll no care a tait.
He won't care a bit.

The usual negative with past tense verbs is niver.

A naurhaund coft the haliday, but A coudna gang till the hint end o Augist sae A niver coft it.
I nearly bought the holiday, but I couldn't go until the end of August so I didn't buy it.

A niver gotten stairtit till nine.
I didn't get started until nine. A will niver iver dae drogs.
I will at no time take drugs.

Negative or unpleasant attributes may be indicated by the prefix mis.

That wickit man mislippens his bairns.
That wicked man neglects his children.

The mediciner miskent the seemptoms.
The physician mistook the symptoms.

A misdout wir lads'll win the gemme.
I doubt our boys will win the game.

The penter wis sair mistrystit wi the onding.
The painter was extremely dismayed by the downpour.

In middle Scots the present participle (referring to an action that is roughly contemporaneous ) was formed by adding and to the verb. By the twentieth century the pronunciation had become indistinguishable from that of the verbal noun in most dialects. During the Scots revival some Scots writers started to revive the older form spelling the present participle an. In line with modern pronunciation the form in is used here.

In words like bide, side, ride and hate the final e is dropped when forming the present participle. Where the verb ends with ie the ie changes to y.

He cam beirin praisents.
He came bearing presents. He wis bidin ootby.
He was staying outside.

He wis hatin haein tae wirk on the Saubath.
He hated having to work on Sunday.

She wis batin the dug.
She was beating the dog.

He's aye cairyin on lik a daft fuil body.
He's always behaving like a stupid fool person.

The dug wis coueryin doun whan the thunner clappit.
The dog was cowering when the thunder clapped.

One common word survives with a form of the older participle.

He wis aye willint tae dae't.
He was always willing to do it.

The laums willintly gaed til the slauchter.
The lambs willingly went to the slaughter.

Note that the irregular present participle of gae is gaun.

A'm gaun hame, thare's nocht tae dae.
I'm going home, there is nothing to do.

Progressive use of the present participle.

He wisna likin it an the lassie he wis wi wisna likin it.
He didn't like it and the girl he was with didn't like it.

We warna wantin tae big a new hoose.
We didn't want to build a new house.

Ye're no intendin tae open thon bottle o wine the nicht, are ye?
You don't intend to open that bottle of wine tonight, do you?

He's no liftin a wird ye say.
He doesn't understand a word you say.

Scots prefers the use of present participle to the infinitive.

Thay aye conteena wirkin till the whistle blaws.
They always continue to work until the whistle blows.

He stairtit speakin til his feres.
He started to speak to his comrades.

It wis glaikit lea'in the dug in the hoose its lane.
It was thoughtless to leave the dog in the house on its own.

Ettle at eatin less gin ye're ower wechty.
Try to eat less if you're over weight.

[ Start | Previous | Next ]