When to use “ag cur” + verbal noun instead of “ag” + verbal noun

[Seáinín]

I’m a little confused here. I can say “Tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge” for “I am studying” but “Tá sé ag cur báistí” for “It is raining”. Are there general principals for when “cur” gets used in these kinds of constructions?

At some point I will spend a year studying “cuir”, but not right now. 😉

Go raibh maith agaibh.

[Labhrás]

I’m a little confused here. I can say “Tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge” for “I am studying” but “Tá sé ag cur báistí” for “It is raining”. Are there general principals for when “cur” gets used in these kinds of constructions?

báisteach (gin. báistí) is “rain”. It is not really a verbal noun (though you can say “tá sé ag báisteach”) but rather a simple noun.

Tá sé ag cur báistí = “Is it at putting rain” = It is raining.

You can use “cur” with any noun that can be put, placed, sowed, planted, set, laid or sent or similar.
But usually not with other verbal nouns.

[Magh Ithe]

Yes, although cur means “putting”, it can help to think of it at times as meaning something like “emitting”.
So – Tá sé ag cur fearthainne or Tá sé ag cur sneachta can be thought of as saying that it is emitting rain or snow, which helps make more sense of it for me.

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