However, as I am going to Oireachtas na Samhna in a few days I figure it is the perfect time to lay out the Irish I have learned, and hope I remember it come this weekend.I have been taking Irish classes through the Cumann na Gaeilge at DCU, but being the overzealous student I am I have also bought a book, and I travel everywhere with a dictionary trying to read the bilingual signs in the museums and on the streets. I've picked up a random smattering of the language, and included almost everything here with my best approximation of a pronunciation guide.
Disclaimer: There are several distinct varieties of Irish. You will quite possibly run into a fluent speaker who says things very differently!
Greetings
- Hello: Dia duit (día ghwich)
- Hello (in response): Dia is Muire duit (día iss mwarih ghwich)
- How are you?: Conas tá tú? (conas atah too)
- How are you? (Connemara): Cenchaoi a bhfuil tú? (kenkwee a will too?)
- How are you? (Donegal): Cad é mar atá tú? (cujaymur atah too)
- I am well: Tá mé go maith (tah may guh mah)
- I am wonderful: Tá mé go iontach (tah may guh eeuntuch)
- I am excellent: Tá mé ar fheabhas (tah may ar yawuss)
- I am not well: Níl mé go maith (neel may guh mah)
- Goodbye: Slán (slawn)
Introductions and Personal Information
- What is your name?: Cad is ainm duit? (cud iss annum dwich?)
- __ is my name: __ is ainm dom (iss annum dum)
- I am (a) ____: Is mise ____ (Iss misha). E
- Example: Is mise Cortney means "I am Cortney." I can also say: Is mise mac léinn (iss misha mac lane), which means "I am a student."
- Nice to meet you: Deas bualadh leat (djay-as booalah lat)
- Where do you live?: Cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí? (caw will too ih doh choney?)
- note: think of the German sound of the name "Bach," with the ch in your throat. Say "honey" with that sound at the beginning, and you're pretty close.)
- I live in...: Tá mé i mo chónaí i... (taw may ih moh choney ih...)
- Example: Tá mé i mo chónaí i Meiriceá (America).
- What is your phone number? Cad is d'uimhir teileafóin? (cud iss divver telephone?)
- My phone number is: M'uimhir teileafóin is...
- Note: numbers in next section!
- What is your address?: Cad is do sheoladh? (cud iss doh hyóla?)
- My address is: Mo sheoladh is... (muh hyóla iss...)
- What age are you?: Cén aois tú? (cain eesh who?)
- I am __ years of age: Tá mé ____ bliain d'aois (tah may ___ bleeun d'eesh).
- note: "bliain" changes spelling depending on your age. This is for people aged twenties onward).
- examples:
- I am twenty years of age: Tá mé fiche bliain d'aois.
- I am twenty-two years of age: Tá mé dhá bhliain agus fiche d'aois (literally, I am two years and twenty of age).
Numbers
- 0: náid (nawt)
- 1: (h)aon (ayun)
- 2: dó (doh)
- 3: trí (tree)
- 4: ceathair (ca-har)
- 5: cúig (coo-ig)
- 6: sé (shay)
- 7: seacht (shacht- think "shocked" but with that throaty ch instead of ck)
- 8: (h)ocht (acht- same as above)
- 9: naoi (nee)
- 10: deich (deh)
- Note: when giving a number, like a phone number, say "a" before the numbers 1-10. It is in this case that aon and ocht become haon and hocht.
- Example: M'uimhir teileafóin is náid, a dó, a trí, a sé...
Alright, that is a lot- be on the lookout for Páirte 2! Slán!
