"Ba dhochtúir é."

Translation: He was a doctor.

[khmanuel]

Are nouns always lenited after ba?

[smrch]

Usually, but <d> and <t> are often unlenited after 'ba' in Ulster (and, I think, north Connacht).

[khmanuel]

As usual, a variety of options with the different dialects.

[exeisen]

I put "He was a doctor" and it was marked correct, but when I mouse over "ba" it says it's conditional.

[smrch]

Ba is both conditional and past tense.

[LenaCapaillUisce]

So could I translate this as "he would be a doctor", or maybe "he might be a doctor"? Or does that not work here?

[SatharnPHL]

"He would be a doctor" and "he might be a doctor" are not equivalent. Ba dhochtúir é does not mean "he might be a doctor".

[LenaCapaillUisce]

So conditional is He would be a doctor. Right, thanks!
I've heard that conditional can also be used to express preference/intent. Could "Ba dhochtúir é" also mean 'he would like to be a doctor'? Or am I mistaken?

[SatharnPHL]

It's the conditional - "he would be a doctor if (condition=true)".

The conditional is used to express a preference in expressions like ba mhaith liom cupán tae - "I would like a cup of tea", or b'fhearr liom caife - "I would prefer coffee"

ba mhaith leis bheith ina dhochtúir - "he would like to be a doctor"

[_Kierz_]

Why not:
dochtúir a bhí ann.

Where does 'ba' come from?

[SatharnPHL]

ba is the past tense of the copula.

Is dochtúir é - "he is a doctor"
Ba dochtúir é - "he was a doctor"

[JayLozinsk]

It also says cows.

[scilling]

That’s because ba is also the plural of bó (“cow”).

[JayLozinsk]

I know that.

[scilling]

So why comment upon “cows” being in the hints?

[RWWTaylor]

I think knowing how the hover notes are constructed — apparently by blind dictionary lookup rather than with any reference to the larger context of the example being presented — might be a matter of some interest to learners. This certainly puzzled (and sometimes annoyed) me when I first began working through the lessons. Learning to deal with this sort of distraction is part of the game, eh?

[CelineHyne]

Mar ba ba é

[Sliotar.]

Mar ba ba é

Mar ba bha iad

[wilco929499]

"Is é an dochtúir" = "He was the doctor" ?

[Sliotar.]

Is dochtúir é - "he is a doctor" Present Tense
Is é an dochtúir é - "he is the doctor" Present Tense
(in Ulster Irish, they just say Is é an dochtúir).

Ba dhochtúir é - "he was a doctor" Past Tense
Ba é an dochtúir é - "he was the doctor" Past Tense
(in Ulster Irish, they just say Ba é an dochtúir).

[wilco929499]

I meant to type:
Ba é an dochtúir