Gaeilge agus Fáilte - Welcome to Irish - Ceacht 5 - Lesson 5

We have already learned sentences like ‘Tá mé ag dul amach’ (ta may eg dul amah) I am going out; ‘Tá Seán ag obair sa bhaile’ (ta shan eg ubir sa walyi) Seán is working at home. We can use this ‘tá - ag’ construction in lots of situations, e.g.in a shop.
By Liam Uilliam Eoghain
Published 31st May 2020, 11:17 BST
Signs in English and Irish in Bunbeg.Signs in English and Irish in Bunbeg.
Signs in English and Irish in Bunbeg.

Tá mé ag iarraidh bainne. (eg eery bawnyi) I am looking for milk; Tá mé ag iarraidh fíoruisce. (feer ishki) I am looking for mineral water.

Asking for something this way can be slightly complicated at this stage, however. A simpler way would be: Bainne, le do thoil.(li du hul) Milk, please. Fíoruisce, le do thoil. Mineral water, please.

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When lockdown is over, we will be able to ask: Caife bán, le do thoil.(white coffee) Pionta,(pintu),le do thoil.(a pint)

Toil ‘means ‘will’, ‘desire’, or ‘fondness’. When talking to more than one person, we say ‘le bhur dtoil’ (li wur dul). A pháistí, ciúnas, le bhur dtoil! (a fwashtchee, kyoonus li wur dul) Children, quiet, please! (Heard often during lockdown.)

Some more proverbs: Ná tabhair comhairle d’amadán. (na tore coawarlyi damadan} Don’t give a fool advice.

Ná tabhair silíní do mhuca.(shileenyee du wuca) Don’t give cherries to pigs.(Don’t give people what they don’t want or won’t appreciate.)

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Tá luibh le haghaidh gach tinnis.(ta liv li hy gah tchinyus) There is a herb for every illness. (Gives hope in fighting the coronavirus!)

‘Tabhair’ (‘give’) can be used for requests also: Tabhair dom an bainne. (tore doo un bawnyi) Give me the milk, pass me the milk; Tabhair dom do lámh.(du laaw) ‘Give me your hand,’ is a well known traditional tune. Obair bhaile: Find five ways you can ask for biscuits. (brioscaí).

Next week we shall have a revision lesson to consolidate and to give latecomers a chance to catch up.

CATCH UP

Lesson 4: www.derryjournal.com/education/gaeilge-agus-failte-welcome-irish-ceacht-4-lesson-4-2869846Lesson 3: www.derryjournal.com/education/gaeilge-agus-failte-welcome-irish-ceacht-3-lesson-3-2863152Lesson 2: www.derryjournal.com/education/gaeilge-agus-failte-welcome-irish-ceacht-2-lesson-2-2854732Lesson 1: www.derryjournal.com/education/gaeilge-agus-failte-welcome-irish-lesson-1-2848172