is féidir

is féidir (past/conditional b’fhéidir)

1. can, be able (with le)

   Is féidir liom canadh.

   I can sing.

   Is féidir le Dónall snámh.

   Dónall can swim.

2. to be possible

   Is féidir Gaeilge a fhoghlaim.

   It’s possible to learn Irish.

The person who is able to do the action may be expressed as the object of le, while the verbal noun expressing the action is expressed as the subject of the sentence (coming at the end by the normal rules of Irish syntax).

This phrasal verb is only in the present tense. For the other tenses féad, tar le and bheith in ann are used. The past/condtional of is féidir, b'fhéidir, means “maybe” and can be used epistemically:

B'fhéidir go mbeidh an beart anseo amárach

The parcel could be here tomorrow.

• féad
• tar le
• bheith in ann (“to be capable of”)

• b'fhéidir (“maybe”)