This is probably a dumb question, but maybe someone can help a beginner out. Is "tell me a story" translated as "inis scéal dom" or "inis dom scéal"? And is "tell it to me" translated as "inis dom é" or "inis é dom"? Is there a rule? Go raibh maith agat.
Not a dumb question at all. A rule of habit ordained by the demise of Old Irish's 'notorious infixed pronoun'/forainm intáite na Sean-Ghaeilge. Thosaigh 'forainm tacaíochta', 'é', ag teacht in eireaball na habairte ar nós 'Ros báigh tonn tuile ann é'. D'athraigh siad tuilleadh gur fágadh sinn le 'Do bháigh tonn tuile ann é'/'Bháigh tonn tuile ann é'.
You can say any of the following, the even number versions being ten times more popular than the uneven :
1. Chonaic mé é in Detroit. (no urú for ease) 2. Chonaic mé i nDetroit é.
3. Chonaic mé i nDetroit é an lá/uair cheana. 4. Chonaic mé i nDetroit an lá/uair cheana é.
5. Chonaic mé é an lá cheana. 6. Chonaic mé an lá cheana é.