Gaeilge agus Fáilte - Welcome to Irish - Ceacht 4 - Lesson 4

We know ‘An bhfuil Gaeilge agat?’ (un will gailig ugut) and the answers: Tá Gaeilge agam.( ta gailig ugum) I have Irish. ‘There is Irish at mé’, and Níl Gaeilge agam. (nyeel Gaelig ugum) I don’t have Irish.
By Liam Uilliam Eoghain
Published 31st May 2020, 11:06 BST
Updated 31st May 2020, 11:14 BST
Signs in English and Irish in Bunbeg.Signs in English and Irish in Bunbeg.
Signs in English and Irish in Bunbeg.

‘Agam’ is ag (at) + mé (me); ‘agat’ is ag+tú (you).

We can develop this model.

An bhfuil briseadh agat? (brishoo) Have you any change?

Tá briseadh agam. I have change. Níl briseadh agam. I don’t have change.

An bhfuil carr nua agat? (car noo u) Do you have a new car?

Níl carr nua agam. I don’t have a new car. Tá seanghliogar agam.(shan yligur) I have an old banger. Tá babaí nua ag Bríd. Bríd has a new baby. Níl ceachtanna ag na páistí. (nyeel cyahtana eg na pwashtchee) The children don’t have lessons.

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Translate: Do you have the Journal? Liam speaks Irish. Colm does not speak Irish. Úna has a new coat. Síle has a new man.(An bhfuil an Journal agat? Tá Gaeilge ag Liam. Níl Gaeilge ag Colm. Tá cóta nua ag Úna. Tá fear nua ag Síle.)

Last week we met the proverb ‘Is minic gur leag cac bó fear mór láidir’: It is often a strong man slipped on a cow pat. We can take some words from this and expand our Irish.

Tá Peadar láidir. Peadar is strong. Tá an tae láidir. The tea is strong. Tá an caife lag. (ta un cafai lag) The coffee is weak. Tá mé lag leis an ocras. (lesh un ucrus) I am weak with the hunger. ‘Buachaill bó’ is a cowboy - you know , the guy who said he could do that repair, no problem. Tá an teach mór. ( ta un tchah more) The house is big. The ‘teach mór’ was the landlord’s house. It also means ‘the mental hospital’.

More proverbs:

Ná gearradh do theanga do scornach.( na gyaroo du hang-ga du scornah). Don’t let your tongue cut your throat. ie Watch what you say or you could be in big trouble.

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Marbh le tae agus marbh gan é.(maroo li tai agus maroo gun ai) Dead with tea and dead without it. (Describes a no-win situation.)

Leigheas gach bróin comhrá. (layus gah brone coara). The cure for all sadness is talk.

CATCH UP

Lesson 3: www.derryjournal.com/education/gaeilge-agus-failte-welcome-irish-ceacht-3-lesson-3-2863152

Lesson 2: www.derryjournal.com/education/gaeilge-agus-failte-welcome-irish-ceacht-2-lesson-2-2854732

Lesson 1: www.derryjournal.com/education/gaeilge-agus-failte-welcome-irish-lesson-1-2848172