All the companies involved are long out of business now, but the author continued his work with another current company:
We'll try to unite the video, text, and audio if possible on this page to present you with everything that was once available for it.
THE VIDEO PROGRAM AND THE WORKBOOK/AUDIO FILES ARE DIFFERENT
But they are related, of course. That is why we present them together here.
If you're just after how to pronounce Irish words, follow this link.
1: Meeting People
Chapter 1 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
GREETING SOMEONE
The most common greeting isCad é mar atá tú? How are you?
This greeting is sometimes preceded by Haló.
GREETING MORE THAN ONE PERSON
Cad é mar atá sibh? How are youRESPONDING TO A GREETING
Tá mé go maith. I'm fine.or simply
Go maith.
People often add
... go raibh maith agat. ... thank you.
Agus tú fein? And yourself?
When responding to Agus tú fein? people generally avoid repeating Tá mé go maith. and use instead Tá mé go breá.. Listen to some examples on the tape.
The words mé and tú are called pronouns and are used when you don't need to or want to repeat a noun. Here is a list of pronouns, accompanied by the present tense of the verb bí (be).
- Tá mé (I am)
- Tá tú (you are)
- Tá sé/sí (he/she is)
- Tá muid (we are)
- Tá sibh (you are)
- Tá siad (they are)
TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER
People often comment on the weather after they've exchanged greetings.- Tá lá breá ann. It's a fine day.
- Tá drochlá ann inniu. It's a bad day today.
- Tá sé fuar. It's cold.
- Tá sé te. It's hot/warm.
- Tá sé fliuch. It's wet.
- Tá, cinnte. It is indeed.
Tá lá breá ann inniu, buíochas le Dia. It's a fine day today, thank God.
SAYING GOODBYE
Slan. Goodbye.Slan go fóill. Goodbye for now.
You can respond to Slan. with another Slan., or with Slan go fóill. If, however, the first person says Slan go fóill., the second person simply says Slan. You also hear the following:
Chífidh mé tú. I'll see you.
2: Introductions
Chapter 2 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
INTRODUCING YOURSELF
To introduce yourself you sayIs mise ... I'm...
or
Mise ...
followed by your name.
ASKING SOMEONE'S NAME
C'ainm atá ort? What's your name?If you wish to ask the same question after you have given your name, then use the following:
C'ainm atá ortsa? What's your name?
People normally respond to this question by simply giving their name.
FILLING IN FORMS
Sloinne SurnameCad é an sloinne atá ort? What's your surname?
ASKING WHO SOMEONE IS
Cé seo? Who's this?If you're referring to more than one person you use the following:
Cé hiad seo?
INTRODUCING OTHERS
Seo Diarmaid. This is Diarmaid.INTRODUCING FAMILY MEMBERS
- mathair mother
- Seo mo mhathair.
- athair father
- Seo m'athair.
- iníon* daughter
- Seo m'iníon.
- mac son
- Seo mo mhac.
This is how you introduce more than one daughter or son:
Seo mo chuid inlonacha.
Seo mo chuid mac.
The Irish for 'my' is mo. If it precedes a word beginning with a consonant (other than l, n, or r) a h is added to the initial letter, causing a change in sound:
mac = mo mhac
If mo precedes a word beginning with a vowel or f, the o in mo is dropped:
iníon = m'iníon
3: Speaking about your background
Chapter 3 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
ASKING SOMEONE WHERE THEY ARE FROM
Cá as tú? Where are you from?After giving your response, you can ask the same question in the following ways:
Cá as túsa? Where are you from?
or
Cá as tú féin? Where are you from yourself?
SAYING WHERE YOU'RE FROM
Is as ... mé. I'm from ...Is as Dún Geanainn mé. I'm from Dungannon.
This is generally used as a statement or as a response to a general question such as 'Tell me a little about yourself.' However, when answering a more specific question, such as Cá as tú? people tend to say As and the name of the place.
As Léim an Mhadaidh. From Limavady.
ASKING SOMEONE WHERE THEY LIVE
Cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí? Where do you live?SAYING WHERE YOU LIVE
Tá mé i mo chónaí i(n)... I live in...Tá mé i mo chónaí in Aontroim. I live in Antrim.
Tá mé i mo chónaí i nDún Geanainn. I live in Dungannon.
If you are responding to the question Cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí? you can just say, I(n) and the name of the place.
The following sentence will prove useful to you if you don't live in the place you are originally from.
As Ard Mhacha ó dhúchas mé, ach tá mé i mo chónaí i mBeal Feirste anois.
I'm originally from Armagh, but I live in Belfast now.
The Irish for 'in' is i or in.
I is used before words beginning with a consonant, and causes an urú:
i dTír Eoghain
i nDún Dealgan
If the word begins with a vowel, in is used instead:
in Achadh na Chloiche
in Ard Mhacha
TALKING ABOUT LOCATION
You can use the following if you wish to be more precise about where you live:Tá mé i mo chónaí i lár an bhaile. I live in the centre of town.
... taobh amuigh den bhaile. ... outside the town
... faoin tuath ... in the countryside
... i lár na cathrach ... in the city centre.
sraid street
... ar shráid Anraí ... in Henry Street
bóthar road
... ar Bóthar na Carraige ... on Carrick Road
NA hUIMHREACHA 1-12 NUMBERS 1-12
| 0 | a náid | 7 | a seacht |
| 1 | a haon | 8 | a hocht |
| 2 | a dó | 9 | a naoi |
| 3 | a trí | 10 | a deich |
| 4 | a ceathair | 11 | a haon déag |
| 5 | a cúig | 12 | a dó dhéag |
| 6 | a sé |
| uimhir a cúig | number five |
ASKING SOMEONE THEIR PHONE NUMBER
Cad é d'uimhir fóin? What's your phone number?or simply
D'uimhir fóin? Your phone number?
ASKING WHAT TIME IT IS
Cad é an t-am atá sé? What time is it?If you're asking a stranger you should use the phrase, Gabh mo leithscéal (Excuse me) first in order to attract their attention. If you're already talking to someone you can use the phrase:
Cad é an t-am atá sé, le do thoil? What time is it, please?
SAYING WHAT TIME IT IS
Tá sé ... a chlog. It's ... o'clock.- a haon a chlog
- a dó a chlog
- a trí a chlog
- a ceathair a chlog
- a cúig a chlog
- a sé a chlog
- a seacht a chlog
- a hochr a chlog
- a naoi a chlog
- a deich a chlog
- a haon déag a chlog
- a dó dhéag a chlog
leath i ndiaidh ... half past ...
ceathrú go dtí ... a quarter to ...
When you're responding to the question Cad é an t-am atá sé? you can leave out Tá sé ... if you wish and simply say the time.
4: Discussing Languages
Chapter 4 Audio File as MP3
Information Text from the Workbook
ASKING SOMEONE IF THEY SPEAK A LANGUAGE
An bhfuil ... agat? Can you speak ...? (literally, Have you ...?)An bhfuil Gaeilge agat? Can you speak Irish?
An bhfuil Fraincis agat? Can you speak French?
TEANGACHA Languages
| Béarla | English |
| Gearmáinis | German |
| Iodáilis | Itailian |
| Spáinnis | Spanish |
| Breatnais | Welsh |
| Gaeilge na hAlban | Gaelic (Scotland) |
SAYING HOW WELL YOU SPEAK A LANGUAGE
Tá Gaeilge líofa agam. I speak Irish fluently.Tá beagán Fraincise agam. I speak a little French.
Tá mé ag foghlaim Gearmáinise. I'm learning German.
Níl mórán Iodáilise agam. I can't speak much Italian.
If you are responding specifically to the question An bhfuil Gaeilge agat? here are some possible answers:
Tá. Yes.
Níl. No.
Beagán. A little.
Tá. Tá mé líofa. Yes. I'm fluent.
Tá mé ag foghlaim. I'm learning.
ASKING SOMEONE WHICH LANGUAGES THEY SPEAK
Cad é na teangacha atá agat? Which languages can you speak?SAYING WHAT LANGUAGES YOU SPEAK
Tá Fraincis agus Gearmáinis agam. I speak french and German.Tá Iodáilis agam ach níl aon Spáinnis agam. I speak Italian but I can't speak Spanish.
Níl aon Fraincis nó Spáinnis agam. I speak neither french nor Spanish.
SAYING WHERE YOU'RE LEARNING A LANGUAGE
If you tell someone that you are learning a language, you might be asked where: Cá háit? Here are some possible answers:Ón teilifís. From the television.
Ón raidió. From the radio.
Ag rang oíche. At a night class.
Ó fhístéipeanna sa bhaile. From videos at home.
ASKING IF SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS A LANGUAGE
An dtuigeann tú Gaeilge? Do you understand Irish?Tuigim. Yes (I do understand).
Ní thuigim. No (I don't understand).
A question is formed in the present tense by placing An before the verb. This causes an urú in verbs beginning with a consonant (except l, m, n, r or s):
An dtuigeann tú? Do you understand?
(This An tends not to be pronounced in everyday speech.)
As you've probably noticed, there's no equivalent of the words 'yes' or 'no' in Irish. You must listen to the question and use the same verb in your answer:
An ólann tú caife? Do you drink coffee?
Ólaim. Yes.
Ní ólaim No.
When Ní precedes a verb beginning with a consonant (except l, n, or r) it causes a séimhiú:
Ní thuigim. I don't understand.
Only a handful of irish verbs (eleven, to be precise) are irregular, but they occur quite frequently. You've already come across one of the most widely used: Tá.
An bhfuil Gaeilge agat? Can you speak Irish?
Tá Yes.
Níl No.
You'll have plenty of opportunities to practise using verbs between now and the end of the course, so don't worry unduly about them!
COUNTING THINGS
| teanga | a language |
| teanga amháin | one language |
| dhá theanga | two languages |
| trí phionta | three pints |
| ceithre dhoras | four doors |
| cúig bhuidéal | five bottles |
| sé chaife | six coffees |
| trí leabhar | three books |
| dhá rothar | two bicylces |
NOTE
The numbers a haon, a dó, and a ceathair change when counting things.
Words beginning with a vowel remain unchanged:
| ceithre úll | four apples |
| cúig oráiste | five oranges |
Note how the singular form is used after numbers in Irish:
| oráistí | oranges |
| but | |
| cúig oráiste | five oranges |
| teangacha | languages |
| but | |
| dhá theanga | two languages |
5: Expressing opinions
Chapter 5 Audio File as MP3 (May not play on the web, we've had success after downloading)
Information Text from the Workbook
SAYING THAT YOU LIKE SOMETHING
Is maith liom ... I like ...Is breá liom ...
or
Tá dúil mhór agam i(n)... I really like ...
SAYING THAT YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING
Ní maith liom ... I don't like ...Ní maith liom ...ar chor ar bith. I don't like ... at all.
Is fuath liom... I hate ...
Listen to some people expressing opinions on television programmes. Before turning on the tape, have a look at the vocabulary below.
| cláracha | programmes |
| cláracha faisnéise | documentaries |
| cláracha spóirt | sports programmes |
| cláracha ceoil | music programmes |
| cláracha cainte | talk shows |
| cláracha dúlra | nature programmes |
| banc | bank |
SAYING WHAT YOU LIKE DOING
When you talk about the things you like doing or actually participating in, as opposed to just liking, you can use the word bheith:Is maith liom a bheith ... I like ...
- ag garraíodóireacht gardening
- ag péinteáil painting
- ag cócaireacht cooking
- ag iascaireacht fishing
- ag léamh reading
Here are some other popular pastimes and activites.
Is maith liom ... I like to ...
- a dhul ag rith. go running.
- amharc ar an teilifís. watch television.
- éisteacht le ceol. listen to music.
- a dhul ag snámh. go swimming.
- a dhul chuig scannáin. go to films.
- a dhul chuig drámaí. go to plays.
- leadóg a imirt. play tennis.
ASKING SOMEONE WHETHER THEY LIKE SOMETHING
An maith leat ...? Do you like... ?An maith libh ...? Do you like... ? (when speaking to more than one person)
GIVING YOUR REPLY
When replying to the question An maith leat ...? there's no need to use liom when saying yes or no.An maith leat ceol clasaiceach? Do you like classical music?
Is maith. Yes.
Ní maith. No.
Is breá liom é. I really like it.
Ní maith liom ar chor ar bith é. I don't like it at all.
Is fuath liom é. I hate it.
Tá sé ceart go leor. It's all right.
Having replied to the question An maith leat ...? you may wish to return the same question. You can do this in two ways:
An maith leatsa é? Do you like it?
An maith leat féin é? Do you like it yourself?
CINEÁLACHA CEOIL Types of music
| ceol traidisiúnta | traditional music |
| ceol clasaiceach | classical music |
| snagcheol | jazz |
| roc-cheol | rock music |
| popcheol | popular music |
SAYING THAT YOU PREFER SOMETHING
Is fearr liom ... I prefer ...Is maith liom snagcheoil ach is fearr liom ceol traidisiúnta. I like jazz but I prefer traditional music.
You'll hear people saying what kinds of food and drink they prefer. Before listening to the tape, have a look at the vocabulary below.
BIA AGUS DEOCH food and drink
| feoil | meat |
| glásraí | vegetables |
| bia mara | seafood |
| sicín | chicken |
| fíon bán | white wine |
| fíon dearg | red wine |
All nouns in Irish are either masculine or feminine.
The words é, í and iad are known as pronouns and are used to avoid repeating a noun, whether that noun represents a person or a thing.
é: 'him', or 'it' when refering to a masculine word
í: 'her', or 'it' when refering to a feminine word*
iad: 'them', in all cases
ceol (masculine)
- An maith leat ceol?
- Is breá liom é.
leadóg (feminine)
- An maith leat leadóg?
- Is fuath liom í
*There is as growing tendency to use é all the time for 'it'.
cláracha (plural)
- An maith leat cláracha ceoil?
- Is breá liom iad.
When pronouns é, í and iad immediately follow the verb, the following forms are used:
sé: 'him', or 'it' when refering to a masculine word
sí: 'her', or 'it' when refering to a feminine word
siad: 'them', in all cases
- An maith leat cláracha spóirt?
- Tá siad ceart go leor.
- An maith leat Julia Roberts?
- Tá sí ceart go leor.
SAYING WHAT SOMETHING IS LIKE
Tá sé maith. It's good.Tá sé an-maith. It's very good.
Tá sé measartha maith. It's reasonably good.
Níl sé rómhaith. It's not too good.
Tá sé go dona. It's very bad.
ASKING WHETHER SOMETHING IS ANY GOOD
An bhfuil ... maith? Is ... good?An bhfuil an fíon seo maith? Is this wine good?
An bhfuil maith ar bith sa ...? Is the ... any good?
An bhfuil maith ar bith sa bhialann sin? Is that restaurant any good?
NA hUIMHREACHA 1-20 NUMBERS 1-20
We'll have a recap on the numbers you've learnt already and add a few more.
| 0 | a náid | 11 | a haon déag |
| 1 | a haon | 12 | a dó dhéag |
| 2 | a dó | 13 | a trí déag |
| 3 | a trí | 14 | a ceathair déag |
| 4 | a ceathair | 15 | a cúig déag |
| 5 | a cúig | 16 | a sé déag |
| 6 | a sé | 17 | a seacht déag |
| 7 | a seacht | 18 | a hocht déag |
| 8 | a hocht | 19 | a naoi déag |
| 9 | a naoi | 20 | fiche |
| 10 | a deich |
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).
