CHIT CHAT The key to becoming a confident Irish-language speaker lies in your ability to engage in basic everyday dialogue. Developing a habit of partaking in casual informal conversations as Gaeilge is central to building up confidence and in bonding with the language.
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This is a fun part of language learning as it requires social interaction with other learners. As the majority of brief casual conversations are restricted to generalities it is possible to conduct them predominantly as Gaeilge if you have the necessary dialogue that is used in everyday chit chat. This section focuses on common sayings, greetings, and questions that are most frequently used in general everyday dialogue. Getting into the habit of incorporating basic Gaeilge into your daily encounter with fellow learners is only a matter of practice. AbairLeat’s role is to coordinate the delivery of learning materials and outlining concise step by step direction on how to engage with them online. However, there is no substitute to using the language in meaningful interaction in real life situations. Willingness to communicate as Gaeilge with each other is the single most important requirement for learners.
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Leaganacha coitianta 1 - Common everyday phrases 1 A challenging aspect of learning a language is moving from the book or Internet to the real-life situations and interacting with others. The following phrases and interjections can be useful as icebreakers to begin a conversation and to indicate that you are able and willing to speak Gaeilge.
Thaitin sé go mór liom I liked it/him very much I succeeded D’éirigh liom Go n-éirí leat! Good luck! Tabhair dom (toram*) é Abair leat! Abair amach é!
Give it to me Say it! Out with it!
Fág mé! Ceist agam ort Ní dóigh liom é
Let me alone! A quick question I don’t think so
Céard a cheapann tú faoi? Cén t-am é? Feicfidh mé ar ball thú.
What do you think/make of it? What time is it? I’ll see you later.
Airím uaim mo chairde A Mhaighdean! Go bhfóire Dia orainn!
I miss my friends Holy Mary! Oh my God! God help us!
Go sábhála Dia sinn! God save us! Tabhair dom (toram) ceann! Give me one An bhfuil tú ag iarraidh ceann? Do you want one?
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An bhfuil ........? Are you .../ do you .... / is it ..... ? The following are some very common questions which are used in everyday settings. Although each starts with “An bhfuil...?”, note the numerous meanings which this verb can carry
An bhfuil tuilleadh aráin uait? An bhfuil do dhóthain agat? An bhfuil cúnamh uait?
Do you want more bread? Have you enough? Do you need help?
An bhfuil a fhios agat? An bhfuil tú in ann é a dhéanamh? An bhfuil tú réidh?
Do you know? Are you able to do it? Are you ready?
An bhfuil tú cinnte faoi sin? An bhfuil tú ceart go leor? An bhfuil tú ag iarraidh ceann?
Are you sure about that? Are you alright? Do you want one?
An bhfuil tú ag éisteacht liom? An bhfuil tú ag smaoineamh faoi? An bhfuil tú i ndáiríre?
Are you listening? Are you thinking? Are you serious?
An bhfuil tú sásta? An bhfuil tú ag dul ann? An bhfuil tú ag obair? An bhfuil tú ag imirt? An bhfuil tú ag magadh fúm? An bhfuil tú as do chiall?
Are you pleased? Are you going there? Are you working?
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Are you playing? Are you joking me? Are you out of your mind?
Leaganacha coitianta 2 - Common everyday phrases 2 This lesson presents another 18 widely used phrases, interjections. Including them in your general conversation makes learning Gaeilge much more engaging and will add a great deal to your level of fluency
Fág seo! Déan deifir. Tóg d’am! Cá bhfuil (cá ‘il) do dheifir? Éirigh as! Éirigh as an tseafóid!
Come on! Hurry up! Take your time! Where is your hurry? Give it up / Stop it! Don’t be silly!
Fág an bealach! / Fan as an mbealach! Stay out of the way! Gabh i leith anseo! Come over here! Téigh i dtigh diabhail! Go to hell! Lean ort! Ar aghaidh leat! Bailigh leat / gread leat!
Keep going! Go ahead! Get lost! / Clear off!
Cé mhéad atá air? Céard a chosnaíonn sé? Is mise an chéad duine eile.
How much is it? How much does it cost? I’m next!
Cá bhfuil tú ag dul? Fan nóiméad! Oíche mhaith, codladh sámh!
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Where are you going? Wait a minute! Good night, sleep well!
Cé leis? Cé ag?
Cé do?
Cé air?
Some more questions and answers that are essential for everyday conversations. These phrases use the prepositional pronouns which do not exist in many other languages, so becoming comfortable with phrases such as these indicates an increasing level of fluency.
An leatsa é seo? Cé leis é? Is liomsa é! Is linne é.
An agatsa atá sé? Cé aige a bhfuil sé? Is agamsa (a’msa) atá sé. Is againne atá sé.
An duitse é? Cé dó é? Is domsa é. Is dúinne é.
An ortsa atá an milleán? Cé air a bhfuil an milleán? Is ortsa atá an milleán. Is orainne atá an milleán.
Is this yours? Whose is it? It is mine! It is ours!
Have you got it? Who has it? I have it. We have it.
Is it for you? Who is it for? It is for me. It is for us.
Are you to blame? Who is to blame? You are to blame. We are to blame.
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An chopail “Is” - Common uses of the copula On this page, examples are given of everyday phrases using the copula ‘is’. Again, these are common phrases used naturally in everyday dialogue.
An féidir leat é a dhéanamh? Is féidir liom é a dhéanamh. An féidir é a dhéanamh? Is féidir é a dhéanamh
Can you do it? I can do it. Can it be done? It can be done.
An fearr leat tae nó caifé? Is fearr liom tae. An cuimhin leat é? Is cuimhin liom go maith é.
Do you prefer tea to coffee? I prefer tea. Do you remember it? I remember it well.
Ní cuimhin liom ar chor ar bith é An maith leat é? Cinnte is maith liom é. Ní maith liom ar chor ar bith é.
I can’t remember it at all Do you like it? I sure do like it. I don’t like it at all.
An cuma leat faoi? Is cuma liom sa diabhal faoi. An miste leat é a dhéanamh? Diabhal miste liom é a dhéanamh.
Do you care about it? I couldn’t care less. Do you mind doing it? I wouldn’t mind in the least.
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Ceisteanna fút féin - About yourself One of the first things language learners learn is to introduce themselves and to be able to speak a little about who they are. This has the added advantage of opening communication with other learners or native speakers which allows you to practice what you learn.
Cén aois thú? Cé as thú? Cá gcónaíonn tú? Cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí?
What age are you? Where are you from? Where do you live? Where do you live?
Cé thusa? Cá dtéann tú ar scoil? Cén chaoi a dtéann tú ar scoil?
Who are you? Where do you go to school? How do you go to school?
An siúlann tú ar scoil? An gcasann tú uirlis cheoil? An dtaitníonn cócaireacht leat?
Do you walk to school? Do you play a musical instrument? Do you like cooking?
An léann tú mórán? An imríonn tú spórt? An maith leat a bheith ag caint as Gaeilge?
Do you read much/a lot? Do you play sport? Do you like speaking Gaeilge?
An dtéann tú ag rothaíocht go minic? Do you cycle often? An mbreathnaíonn tú ar TG4 riamh? Do you ever watch TG4? An éisteann tú le cláracha nuachta ar an Raidió?
An bhfuil tú in ann snámh? An dtaitníonn léitheoireacht leat? An ndéanann tú do dhícheall?
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Are you able to swim? Do you like to read? Do you try your best?
Ag casadh le daoine - Meeting people Asking questions is an essential part of communication in any language. On the following pages, examples are given of different ways to ask questions as Gaeilge
Cén chaoi (ce’ chaoi*) a bhfuil tú? How are you? Tá mé togha, go raibh maith agat (a’d*). I’m fine, thank you. Tá mé thar cionn, go raibh maith agat (a’d*). I am excellent, thank you. Cén chaoi (ce’ chaoi*) a bhfuil an chraic? Níl aon chaill uirthi.
How is the craic? Not bad! / Okay!
Aon scéal /Cén scéal agat (a’d*) ? Have you any news? Whats up? Diabhal scéal! Nothings up / No news /Devil a story! Cá bhfuil (cá ‘il*)tú ag dul (a ghoil’*)? An dtiocfaidh tú in éineacht liom?
Where are you going / off to? Will you come with me?
What’s on you? Céard atá (céar’ ‘tá*) ort? Céard atá (céar’ ‘tá*)cearr leat? What is wrong with you? What do you want? Céard atá (céar’ ‘tá*) uait? Céard atá (céar’ ‘tá*)tú a dhéanamh? What are you doing / up to? Céard atá (céar’ ‘tá*)ar siúl agat? What are you up to? Céard a tharla duit? Céard a cheapann tú faoi? Céard sa diabhal atá ort? Céard faoi?
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What happened to you? What do you think of it? What the devil is wrong with you? What about it / him?
Cén ...?
Cé ...... ? - More questions
More examples of questions, this time using cén and cé. On their own, they mean which and who respectively, but they can combine with other parts of speech to change their meaning, as seen below.
Cén ceann is fearr leat? Which one do you prefer? What time is it? Cén t-am é? Cén fáth a ndearna tú é? Why did you do it? Cén fáth a ndeachaigh tú ann? Why did you go there? When did it happen? Cén uair a tharla sé? Cén chaoi (ce’ chaoi*) ar tharla sé? How did it happen? Cén fáth ar tharla sé? Why did it happen?
Cé acu is mó? Cé mhéad ceann atá uait? Cé mhéad atá air?
Which (one) is the biggest? How many do you want? How much is it?
Cé hé mo dhuine? Cé hiad? Cé atá ann?
Who is your man? Who are they? Who is there?
Cé a dúirt é? Cé a rinne é? Cé a chonaic é?
Who said it? Who did it? Who saw it?
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6 Chás Tábhachtach - 6 special cases. There are six ocassions where vebs display a compleatly different form for a positive or a negative answer.. They are used very frequently and need to be given special attention by learners.
An bhfaca tú é? Chonaic mé é. Ní fhaca mé é.
Did you see him/ it? I saw him/ it. I didn’t see him/ it.
An ndeachaigh tú ann? Did you go there? Chuaigh mé ann. I went there. Ní dheachaigh mé ann. I didn’t go there. An ndearna tú é? Rinne mé é. Ní dhearna mé é.
Did you do it? I did it. I didn’t do it.
An raibh tú sásta? Bhí mé sásta. Ní raibh mé sásta.
Were you pleased? I was pleased. I was not pleased.
An bhfuil tú in ann feadaíl? Can you whistle? Tá mé in ann. I am able. Níl mé in ann. I am not able. An bhfaighidh tú litir? Gheobhaidh mé litir. Ní bhfaighidh mé litir.
Will you get/receive a letter? I will get/receive a letter. I won’t get a letter.
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Cén áit ? / Cén fáth? / Cén uair? / Cén chaoi? The where, why, when and how.
Cén áit ar tharla sé? /Cár tharla sé? Where did it happen? When did it happen? Cén uair a tharla sé? Cén fáth ar tharla sé? Why did it happen? How did it happen? Cén chaoi (ce’ chaoi*) ar tharla sé?
Cén chaoi (ce’ chaoi*) a ndeachaigh tú ann? How did you go there? How did you hear about it? Cén chaoi (ce’ chaoi*) ar chuala tú faoi? Cén chaoi (ce’ chaoi*) a ndearna tú é? How did you do it? Cén chaoi (ce’ chaoi*) a n-oibríonn sé? How does it work?
Cén fáth a ndeachaigh tú ann? Cén fáth a ndearna tú é? Cén fáth nár fhág tú? Cén fáth nach raibh tú ann?
Why did you go there? Why did you do it? Why did you not leave? Why were you not there?
Cá ndeachaigh tú aréir? Cá bhfaca tú é ? Cár chuala tú faoi? Cá ndearna tú é?
Where did you go last night? Where did you see him/it? Where did you hear about him/ it? Where did you do it?
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