11: Saying what you did
Chapter 11 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
ASKING SOMEONE WHERE THEY WENT
Cá háit a ndeachaigh* tú? Where did you go?Cá háit a ndeachaigh* tú inné? Where did you go yesterday?
* The n at the beginning of this word is not pronounced in the Ulster dialect.
ASKING SOMEONE WHAT THEY DID
Cad a rinne tú? What did you do?Cad a rinne tú ag an deireadh seachtaine? What did you do at the weekend?
REFERING TO THE RECENT PAST
inné yesterdayarú inné the day before yesterday
aréir last night
arú aréir the night before last
maidin inné yesterday morning
maidin inniú this morning
SAYING YOU WENT SOMEWHERE
Chuaigh mé ... I went ...Chuaigh mé ag snámh. I went swimming.
Chuaigh muid ag rothaíocht. We went cycling.
SAYING WHAT YOU DID
Bhí mé ag bainis. I was at a wedding.D'imir mé cispheil. I played basketball.
D'amharc mé ar fhíseáin. I watched videos.
D'éist mé le dlúthdhioscaí. I listened to CDs.
D'ól mé cúpla deoch. I had a few drinks.
THE PAST TENSE
In the case of regular verbs, the past tense is formed by adding a séimhiú to the imperative of the verb if it begins with a consonant:
| suigh síos (sit down) | shuigh sé síos (he sat down) |
| druid (close) | dhuid sí (she closed) |
If the verb begins with f or with a vowel, you place d' before it:
| ól (drink) | d'ól mé (I drank) |
| fan (wait) | d'fhan mé (I waited) |
IRREGULAR VERBS
As we mentioned before, Irish only has a handful of verbs that don't follow all the rules. Here are the past-tense forms of those verbs:
| bhí mé (I was) | Chonaic sibh (you saw) |
| rinne mé (I did) | thug siad (they gave) |
| chuala tú (you heard) | chuaigh mé (I went gave) |
| dúirt sé (he said) | rug sí ar (she caught) |
| fuair sí (she got) | tháinig sé (he came) |
| d'ith muid (we ate did) |
DAYS OF THE WEEK
| Dé Luain | Monday |
| Dé Máirt | Tuesday |
| Dé Céadaoin | Wednesday |
| Déardaoin | Thursday |
| Dé hAoine | Friday |
| Dé Sathairn | Saturday |
| Dé Domhnaigh | Sunday |
There's no need to place anything before the days of the week in Irish if you want to say 'on a particular day':
Chonaic mé síle Dé Luain. I saw Síle on Monday.
The days of the week aren't affected if they're preceded by the words maidin and tráthnóna:
| maidin Dé Máirt | Tuesday morning |
| tráthnóna Déardaoin | Thursday evening |
After oíche, however, Dé is dropped and a séimhiú is added: |
|
| oíche Mháirt | Tuesday night |
| oíche Shathairn | Saturday night |
Luain, remains the same, and Dé hAoine loses its h: |
|
| oíche Luain | Monday night |
| oíche Aoine | Friday night |
ASKING SOMEONE WHEN THEY WENT SOMEWHERE
Cá huair? When?Cá huair a chuaigh tú go Leitir Ceanainn? When did you go to Letterkenney?
Cén lá a chuaigh tú go Leitir Ceanainn? What day did you go to Letterkenney?
ASKING SOMEONE WHO WAS WITH THEM
Cé a bhí leat? Who was with you?Cé a chuaigh leat? Who went with you?
GIVING A RESPONSE
Mo chara. My friend.Mo chara Liam. My friend Liam.
Mo chairde. My friends.
ASKING SOMEONE IF THEY ENJOYED SOMETHING
Ar bhain tú sult as? Did you enjoy it?Ar bhain tú sult as an dráma? Did you enjoy the play?
Ar bhain tú sult as an deireadh seachtaine? Did you enjoy the weekend?
GIVING YOUR REPLY
Bhain. Yes (I did).Níor bhain. No (I didn't).
Bhain mé an-sult as. I really enjoyed it.
In Aonad 7 we saw three different words that are used to say 'to' in Irish:
| go hArd Mhaca | to Armagh |
| go dtí an banc | to the bank |
| chuig dráma | to a play |
Chuig is used when you're talking about going to an event, an appointment, or a meeting. Chuig is also used when you are referring to sending something (such as a letter), or to motion:
| Chuaigh mé chuig an dochtúir. | I went to the doctor. |
| Chuir mé litir chuig Anna. | I sent a letter to Anna. |
| Chaith sé cnámh chuig an mhadadh. | He threw a bone to the dog. |
12: Taking your leave
Chapter 12 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
SAYING YOU HAVE TO GO
Caithfidh mé imeacht. I have to go.Caithfidh mé imeacht arís. I have to go again.
Tá mé ag imeacht. I am going.
Tá mé ag dul abhaile.
or
Tá mé ag dul chun an bhaile. I am going home.
GIVING YOUR RESPONSE
Maith go leor.or
Ceart go leor. All right.
Is mór an trua sin. That's a pity.
Cheana féin! Already!
Níl sé ach luath. It's only early.
ASKING WHY
Cad chuige? Why?SAYING YOU'RE SORRY
Tá brón orm ach ...or
Tá mé buartha ach ... I am sorry but ...
SAYING WHY YOU HAVE TO GO
Tá mé tuirseach. I'm tired.Tá mé an-tuirseach. I'm very tired.
Tá sé mall. It's late.
Tá sé mall. It's very late.
Tá mé mall. I'm late.
Tá mé mall don dráma. I'm late for the play.
Tá deifir orm. I'm in a hurry.
Tá mé ag súil le cuairteoirí. I'm expecting visitors.
Tá mé ag dul chuig cruinniú. I'm going to a meeting.
The Irish for 'very' is an-. When an- precedes words beginning with a consonant, other than d, n, t, l, or s, it causes a séimhiú.
| mall | an-mhall |
| maith | an-mhaith |
| te | an-te |
| tuirseach | an-tuirseach |
| deas | an-deas |
ASKING SOMEONE TO STAY A LITTLE LONGER
Fan tamall beag eile! Stay a little while longer!Fan go dtí ... Stay until ...
Fan go dtí a hocht. Stay until eight.
Fan leathuair eile. Stay another half an hour.
Fan uair an choig eile. Stay another hour.
GIVING YOUR REPLY
Ní thig liom. I can't.If you decide you can stay longer you can use
Maith go leor.
or
Ceart go leor.
SAYING GOODBYE
In Aonad 1 you learnt the following phrases to use when taking leave of someone:Slán.
Slán go fóill.
Chífidh mé tú.
The following is also used:
Adh mór! Good Luck!
REFERRING TO THE NEAR FUTURE
When people are saying goodbye they'll often mention when they'll see you again.Chífidh mé ar ball tú. I'll see you in a while.
Chífidh mé i gceann leathuaire* tú. I'll see you in half an hour.
Chífidh mé anocht tú. I'll see you tonight.
Chífidh mé amárach tú. I'll see you tomorrow.
*For some more useful sentences containing uair go back to Aonad 7.
REFERRING TO TIMES FURTHER IN THE FUTURE
Chífidh mé i gceann cúpla lá tú. I'll see you in a few days' time.Chífidh mé ar an tseachtain seo chugainn tú. I'll see you next week.
Chífidh mé i gceann seachtaine tú. I'll see you in a week's time.
Chífidh mé i gceann coicíse tú. I'll see you in a fortnight's time.
Chífidh mé i gceann míosa tú. I'll see you in a month's time.
Chífidh mé an mhí seo chugainn tú. I'll see you next month.
13: The family part 2
Chapter 13 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
FAMILY MEMBERS AND RELATIVES
| athair | father |
| máthair | mother |
| mac | son |
| iníon | daughter |
| fear céile | husband |
| bean chéile | wife |
Here's some more vocabulary to do with the family and relatives:
| deartháir | brother |
| deirfiúr | sister |
| tuismitheorí | parents |
| máthair mhór | |
| or | |
| seanmháthair | grandmother |
| athair mór | |
| or | |
| seanathair | grandfather |
| aintín | aunt |
| uncail | uncle |
| col ceathrair | cousin |
| col ceathracha | cousins |
INTRODUCING FAMILY MEMBERS AND RELATIVES
Seo ... This is ...- m'athair mór my grandfather
- mo máthair mór my grandmother
- mo chuid deartháireacha my brothers
- mo chuid deirfiúracha my sisters
- m'uncail my uncle
- m'aintín my aunt
- mo chuid col ceathracha my cousins
Mo chuid is used instead of mo by itself when
- an unspecified or indefinite mass or quantity is being referred to:
| mo chuid airgid | my money |
| mo chuid gruaige | my hair |
- an unspecified number of people is being referred to:
| mo chuid deirfiúracha | my sisters |
| mo chuid col ceathracha | my cousins |
INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND OTHERS
Is muidne* ... We're ...Is muidne deirfiúracha John. We're John's sisters.
Is muidne deartháireacha Laura. We're Laura's brothers.
*In Ulster Irish this word usually has three syllables in everyday speech: muid-in-ne.
ASKING ABOUT AGE
Cad é an aois atá tú?or
Cen aois atá tú? What age are you?
Cad é an aois atá sé? What age is he?
AOIS AGE
| bliain (d'aois) | one year (old) |
| dhá bhliain | two years |
| trí bliana | three years |
| ceithre bliana | four years |
| cúig bliana | five years |
| sé bliana | six years |
| seacht mbliana | seven years |
| ocht mbliana | eight years |
| naoi mbliana | nine years |
| deich mbliana | ten years |
You learnt earlier that the numbers 2-6 cause a séimhiú in words beginning with a consonant and the numbers 7-10 cause an urú. Bliain, however, is irregular and doesn't follow all the usual rules. Keep this pattern in mind:
| 1 year | 2 years | 3-6 years | 7-10 years |
| bliain | dhá bhliain | ... bliana | ... mbliana |
ASKING WHERE PEOPLE LIVE
Cá bhfuil sé ina chónaí anois? Where does he live now?Cá bhfuil sí ina cónaí anois? Where does she live now?
Cá bhfuil siad ina gcónaí anois? Where do they live now?
| CÓNAÍ | LIVE |
| Tá mé i mo chónaí | I live |
| Tá tú i do chónaí | You live |
| Tá sé ina chónaí | He lives |
| Tá sí ina cónaí | She lives |
| Tá muid inar gcónaí | We live |
| Tá sibh in bhur gcónaí | You live |
| Tá siad ina gcónaí | They live |
14: Daily routine
Chapter 14 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
DISCUSSING MORNING ACTIVITES
Músclaím ... I wake up ...de ghnáth usually
Músclaím de ghnáth thart fá leath i ndiaidh a seacht.
I usually wake up around half past seven.
Éirim ag a hocht.
or
Éirim ar a hocht. I get up at eight.
Ním me féin. I wash myself.
Ithim mo bhricfeasta idir a hocht agus leath i ndiaidh a hocht.
I eat my breakfast between eight and half past eight.
Téim ag obair thart fá cheathrú go dtí a naoi. I go to work at around a quarter to nine.
Téim chun na scoile ag a naoi a chlog. I go to school at nine o'clock.
ASKING SOMEONE WHAT TIME THEY DO SOMETHING
Cad é an t-am a n-éiríonn tú achan mhaidin? What time do you get up every morning?Cad é an t-am a dtéann tú ag obair achan mhaidin?
What time do you go to work every morning?
Cad é an t-am a mbíonn do dhinnéar agat? What time do you have your dinner?
DISCUSSING ROUTINES
Bíonn mo lón agam idir a haon agus a dó. I have my lunch between one and two.Bím sa bhaile de ghnáth ag a sé. I'm usually home at six.
Bíonn mo dhinnéar agam sa bhaile. I have my dinner at home.
We've already come across tá many times during this course. When you're referring to something that recurs, either frequently or infrequently, you need to use the present habitual form:
| Tá mé tuirseach. | Bím tuirseach i gcónaí tráthnóna. |
| (I'm tired.) | (I am always tired in the evening.) |
| Tá mé mall. | Bím mall i gcónaí maidin Dé luain. |
| (I'm late.) | (I am always late on Monday morning.) |
| bím | I am (or Hiberno-English 'I do be') |
| bíonn tú | you are |
| bíonn sé/sí | he/she is |
| bíonn muid | we are |
| bíonn sibh | you are |
| bíonn siad | they are |
ASKING WHAT SOMEONE DOES DURING THE DAY
Cad é a dhéanann tú i rith an lae? What do you do during the day?Cad é a dhéanann tú tráthnóna? What do you do in the evening?
GIVING YOUR REPLY
Tagaim abhaile .. I come home ...Éistim leis an raidió. I listen to the radio.
Amharcaim ar an teilifís. I watch television.
Téim amach. I go out.
Déanaim réidh béile. I prepare a meal.
Téim a luí luath. I go to bed early.
ASKING SOMEONE IF THEY DO A PARTICULAR THING
An éisteann tú le ceol? Do you listen to music?Éistim. I do (literally, I listen).
Ní éistim. I don't (literally, I don't listen).
An dtéann tú amach go minic? Do you go out often?
Téim.
Ní théim.
An éiríonn tú go luath? Do you get up early?
Éirim.
Ní éirim.
An mbíonn tú gnóthach? Are you usually busy?
Bím.
Ní bhím.
An dtagann tú abhaile luath? Do you come home early?
Tagaim.
Ní thagaim.
An amharcann tú ar an teilifís? Do you watch television?
Amharcaim.
Ní amharcaim.
15: Location and movement part 1
Chapter 15 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
ASKING WHERE SOMETHING IS
Cá bhfuil ...? Where is/are ...?Cá bhfuil oifig an phoist? Where is the post office?
Cá bhfuil do charr? Where is your car?
Cá bhfuil na heochracha? Where are the keys?
SAYING WHERE SOMETHING IS
... ar chlé ... on the left... ar dheis ... on the right
Tá sé ansin ar chlé. It's there on the left.
Tá sé anseo ar dheis. It's here on the right.
Tá sé trasna ón siopa. It's across from the shop.
Tá sé in aice leis an chaife. It's beside the cafe.
The word ó (from) adds a séimhiú to nouns beginning with a consonant (except l, n, or r):
trasna ó theach Bhríd
'From the' is one word in Irish: ón.
trasna ón bhanc across from the bank
Again, note that ón adds a séimhiú to some consonants
(the exceptions being d, n, t, l, and s):
trasna ón bhialann
but
trasna ón siopa
ASKING HOW MANY ROOMS THERE ARE IN A HOUSE
Cá mhéad seomra atá ann? How many rooms are in it?Here are some possible answers:
Tá trí sheomra ann. It has three rooms.
Ocht seomra. Eight rooms.
If you are not sure why it is trí sheomra but ocht seomra, go back to Unit 6.
GIVING DIRECTIONS
Téigh suas an staighre. Go up the stairs.Téigh síos an halla. Go down the hall.
Tiontaigh ... Turn ...
Tiontaigh ar chlé or ar dheis. Turn left or right.
SAYING WHICH DOOR IT IS
an chéad doras ar chlé the first door on the leftHere are the ordinal numbers from the first to tenth:
| an chéad | the first |
| an dara | the second |
| an tríú | the third |
| an ceathrú | the fourth |
| an cúigiú | the fifth |
| an séú | the six |
| an seachtú | the seventh |
| an t-ochtú | the eighth |
| an naoú | the ninth |
| an deichiú | the tenth |
DESCRIBING THE CONTENTS OF A HOUSE
| an tábla | the table |
| an chaothaoir | the chair |
| an cuisneoir | the fridge |
| an sorn | the cooker |
| an leaba | the bed |
| an teilifíseán | the television |
| an prios | the press |
| an cuirtíní | the curtains |
| an brat urláir | the carpet |
ASKING WHERE TO PUT THINGS
Cá gcuirfidh mé é seo? Where will I put this?Cá gcuirfidh mé iad seo? Where will I put these?
ASKING WHERE TO PUT THINGS
Cuir thall ansin é. Put it over there.Cuir sa chistin é. Put it in the kitchen.
Cuir sa seomra folctha é. Put it in the bathroom.
Ar an tábla. On the table.
As we saw in earlier units, i or in is the Irish for 'in':
Tá mé i mo chónaí i mBaile Átha Cliath. I live in Dublin.
However, 'in the' is one word in Irish: sa(n).
| sa chistin | in the kitchen |
| sa gharáiste | in the garage |
Sa adds a séimhiú to words beginning with a consonant (except d, n, t, l, and s):
| sa chuisneoir | in the fridge |
| sa phrios | in the garage |
| but | |
| sa siopa | in the shop |
| sa teach | in the house |
And san is used before words beginning with a vowel:
| san oifig | in the office |
| san ionad spóirt | in the sports centre |
MOVEMENT
Téigh suas ... Go up ...Téigh síos ... Go down ...
Téigh amach ... Go out ...
Téigh isteach ... Go in ...
LOCATION
thuas upthíos ... down
(taobh) amuigh outside
(taobh) istigh ... inside
We'll be returning to movement and location in Unit 25.
To save bandwidth and improve load times for mobile devices. Only 5 lessons are presented on a page (which is the same way the old cassette tapes were arranged).
