| |
Traditions, folklore, history and more. If it's Irish, it's here. Or will be!
"People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors."
-Edmund Burke
Quotes
Library: Books, Movies, Music
Prints & Photos
Poetry
Jokes
Shops Ireland
Bunús na Gaeilge
(Basic Irish)
Circle of Prayer
Blessings
Did You Know?
Himself/Herself
Write to Us
Readers Write..
Links/Link to Us
Advertise with us
Awards & Testimonials
Submissions Guide
Help keep us free
Throughout the site you will see many items available for purchase from well-known merchants such as Amazon. Not interested in what we're featuring? It doesn't matter. Click on any link and then shop for whatever you wish - we will still get credit, if you buy something.
Thanks for your help.
|
|
|
Bunús na Gaeilge - Basic Irish Language
There is no other way to revive Irish than for a crowd of people to spread it.
- Douglas Hyde
On these pages, we will make a valiant effort to provide you with useful words and phrases. One of our subscribers, Aideen, grew up speaking Irish at her mother's knee. She has generously agreed to help us with our lessons. We have put her comments and pronunciations in green.
Note: The spellings and pronunciations used by Aideen are based in her own natural use of Connemara Irish but they have been kept simple, so as to be readily understood in any part of Ireland where there are differences in the language.
For example, the word 'feicfidh' is used only in Connemara Irish; in Leinster, Ulster and Munster the word is 'cífidh'. There are two pronunciations; Leinster/Munster - kee-fee; Ulster - chee-fee.
The biggest problem for people whose native language is English is that the soft 't' and 'd' are in the Irish language, but not in the English language; it's difficult to 'reproduce' them in writing in English. Where I use 'th' and 'dh' here, they are best achieved by putting your tongue gently behind your front upper teeth."
Click here for our words & phrases Index.
Lesson 47: House & Home Decorating
From time to time, we all get the urge to spruce up the house and/or redo the decor. So, that's what this lesson is all about!
Word: House/home
Irish: tsheokh
Pronunciation: teach
Phrase: Man/Woman of the house
Irish: fear/bean a' tí
Pronunciation: far/ban ah chee
Phrase: House furnishing
Irish: Feisteas Tí
Pronunciation: fesh-thahs tjee
Word: Room
Irish: seomra
Pronunciation: shohm-rah
Word: Dining-room
Irish: seomra bia
Pronunciation: shohm-rah bee
Word: Living-room
Irish: seomra teaghlaigh
Pronunciation: shohm-rah tjeye-lee
Word: Kitchen
Irish: cistín
Pronunciation: kish-tjeen
Word: Bedroom
Irish: seomra leapa
Pronunciation: shohm-rah lih-ah-pah
Word: Furniture
Irish: troscán
Pronunciation: thrus-kawn
Word: Chair
Irish: cathaoir
Pronunciation: kah-heer
Word: Seat
Irish: suíochán
Pronunciation: see-uh-khawn
Word: Table
Irish: bord
Pronunciation: burdh
Word: Carpet
Irish: brat urláir
Pronunciation: brahth urr-law-ir
Word: Stairs
Irish: staighre
Pronunciation: sthye-reh
Phrase: Stair-carpet
Irish: brat staighre
Pronunciation: brahth sthye-reh
Word: Curtains (Drapes)
Irish: cuirtíní
Pronunciation: kur-tjeen-ee
Word: Bed (double/single)
Irish: leapa (dúbalta/singil)
Pronunciation: lih-ah-pah (dhoo-bahl-thah/shin-gil)
Word: Wardrobe
Irish: bhárdrús
Pronunciation: vawr-dhroos
Word: Floor
Irish: urlár
Pronunciation: urr-lawr
Word: Wall
Irish: balla
Pronunciation: bah-lah
Word: Paint
Irish: péint/dath
Pronunciation: paynth/dhah
Word: Wallpaper
Irish: páipéar balla
Pronunciation: paw-payr bah-lah
Phrase: Bed linen
Irish: línéadach leapa
Pronunciation: leen-ay-dhukh lih-ah-pah
Phrase: The roof is leaking
Irish: Tá an díon ag ligean amach
Pronunciation: thaw on djee-un egg lig-un ah-mahkh
Phrase: Give me the paint brush
Irish: Tabhair dom an scuab péinteála
Pronunciation: thoh-ir dhum on skoob pain-thawla
Phrase: I'd like a new suite of furniture for the living-room
Irish: Ba mhait liom foireann troscáin nua don seomra suí
Pronunciation: bah wye li-um fwir-un thrus-kaw-in noo-ah dhun shohm-rah see
Phrase: We plan to build an extension to the house
Irish: Tá scéim againn leathnú a thógáil ar an dteach
Pronunciation: thaw shkaym ah-ginn li-ahth-noo ah hoh-gaw-il err on djeokh
Phrase: We bought a new cooker (stove) yesterday
Irish: Cheannaigh muid sorn nua inné
Pronunciation: khi-ahn-nee muidj surn noo-ah inn-yay
Phrase: I prefer to paint the outside of the house white
Irish: Bfhearr liom péint bhán a chur ar an dtaobh amuigh den dteach
Pronunciation: bahr li-um paynth wawn ah khur err on dtheev ah-mwih jen djeokh
Phrase: This job is too big for us. We need to engage a contractor.
Irish: Tá an obair seo ró-mhór dhúinne. Ní mór dúinn conraitheoir a fhreastal.
Pronunciation: Thaw on ub-ir shuh roh wohr goo-in-eh. Nee mohr dhoo-in kun-rah-hoh-ir ah ras-thahl
Phrase: It is time for us to re-decorate this house
Irish: Tá sé in am dúinn an teach seo a mhaisiú arís
Pronunciation: thaw shay in ahm dhoo-in on tsheokh shuh ah wash-oo ah-reesh
Phrase: We need to varnish that floor
Irish: ní mór dúinn clár mín a chur ar an urlár sin
Pronunciation: nee mohr dhoo-inn klawr meen ah khur err on urr-lawr shin
Phrase: Should we wall in the small garden?
Irish: ar chóir dúinn balla a chur timpeall an gáirdín beag?
Pronunciation: err khoh-ir dhoo-inn bah-lah ah khur tjim-pahll on gawr-djeen biuhg?
Warning: Wet Paint!
Irish: Seachain an Phéint!
Pronunciation: shokh-un on faynth!
Phrase: Take down all the pictures, so we'll be ready to hang the wallpaper tomorrow
Irish: bain anuas na pictiúirí, i dtreo is go mbéimid réidh an páipéar balla a chrochadh amárach
Pronunciation: bahn ah-noos nah pik-thoor-ee, ih dtroh iss guh may-midj ray an paw-payr bah-lah ah chrukh-ah ah-mawr-ukh
Phrase: I'd like a lemon colour for the walls of my bedroom
Irish: ba maith dath liomóin a chur ar bhallaí an seomra leapa s'agam
Pronunciation: bah wye li-um dhah lim-oh-in ah khur err on shohm-rah lih-ah-pah sah-ah-gum
Phrase: Where is the best place to put that new table?
Irish: c'én áit is fearr an bord nua sin a láithriú?
Pronunciation: kayn aw-ich iss fahr on burdh noo-ah shin ah law-ih-roo?
Phrase: Can we afford a complete new kitchen?
Irish: bhfuil cistín nua iomláine d'acmhainn againn?
Pronunciation: will kish-tjeen noo-ah um-law-in-eh dhahk-vinn ah-ginn?
Phrase: It's wonderful to have a home of one's own
Irish: is aoibhinn clúid a bheith ag duine dó féin
Pronunciation: iss eev-inn cloodh ah veh egg dhinn-eh dhoh fayn
 Note: This caught our eye. Yes, we know it isn't gaeilge, but it is fascinating. If nothing else, it is certainly language (and Irish language as well.)
Slanguage
by Bernard Share
...for all 'decent skins', 'crawthumpers', horse-protestants', 'hard chaws' and 'strong farmers'...a dictionary of Irish slang that's as amusing as it is informative.
Click here for Slanguage
For More Basic Irish please click here: Irish Index
Image: Gaeilge Beo from All Posters and Prints.
|
|
Sun, Mar 4, 2018
Bitesize Irish Gaelic
Start learning on line with a free trial!
Why Learn Irish with Bitesize Irish Gaelic?
Eoin is a native Irish speaker who you can listen to in the online lessons.
Sasa has helped develop the lessons from the perspective of a complete beginner.
Audrey has created conversation lessons to get you speaking Irish.
And last but certainly not least, they are proud of the Irish language and want more people to speak it.
Affordable, fun and effective - To learn more, Click Bitesize Irish
Irish Grammar
by Noel Mogonagle
This book is excellent for beginners who are wanting a book that gives basic grammar without all the extra information that confuses beginners. The book is well laid out, with information very easy to find. Amazon Reviewer
Here is a good follow-on to our words and phrases.
Click for Irish Grammar.
|
|
Irish - English
English - Irish
Dictionaries
Note: We have yet to see a dictionary with phonetic pronunciations for each word. We suspect this is partly due to the variations. Providing for all four 'green fields' (Connacht, Leinster, Ulster and Munster), would be cumbersome at best. Still, someone may do it some day. Until then, these are all very good and recommended. Serious students will have more than one; they are inexpensive.
These two (either or both) are the handy-references needed to go with a good grammar or 'teach yourself' course.
We would need both (and some other help) if found wandering in a Gaeltacht late at night.
Amazon has an offer of either one combined with a grammar for a reduced price.
Click for Collins Gem
Click for Oxford Pocket.
|
While I wouldn't recommend you use many of these phrases, this is a terribly funny book. I picked it up after leafing through it at the store and finding phrases about sheep and inns and the hazards of driving in Ireland without insurance. Each little section starts out innocuously enough, then quickly degenerates into truly funny comments. If you like Monty Python or BlackAdder, this will really make you laugh. If you liked the Father Ted tv show, this little book will make you keel over giggling. Ah, go on, ya eejit, buy it already! Amazon Reviewer
(We want this, you may see a few on these pages - watch out).
Click for Wicked Irish
An easy-to-use program for learning on your own, or can be used as supplemental material for your classes. These new editions have been thoroughly revised and updated to include the engaging dialogues and helpful exercises you have come to expect from the Teach Yourself series.
Click for Teach Yourself
|
The Best Irish Course Available! Three years ago I decided to learn Irish, and in the next two years I bought three different courses. The first two were simply useless, (that's the obvious reason for my buying new courses) you could learn some phrases, but not construct sentences yourself. Learning Irish, on the other hand, is an excellent book, which gives you a thorough vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. It consists of 36 lessons, all containing vocabularies, grammar instructions, texts and excercises. Amazon Reviewer.
Click for Learning irish
|
|
|
