In Spanish I can combine a conjucated form of a verb with the infinitive to get a sort of "combined" verb. I'm sure there's a better, more academic term for what I'm describing but I don't know it.

Mar shampla, as Spaínnis:

Quiero comprar una lancha.

Quiero = conjugated 1st person singular present tense of querer (to want).

Comprar = infinitive verb meaning "to buy"

Una lancha = a boat

As gaeilge I'm lost. Can I combine verbs like this to get a similar structure and/or concept?

Or must I say, "The wanting is upon me to purchase a boat" or some other convoluted (not to say convoluted is a bad thing) structure? My gut tells me this is the route to go but I'm not certain.

An uireasach agam ceannaigh bád.

Tá uireasach agam ceannaigh bád.

Tá uireasach agam ar ceanním bád.

Clueless or on the right track?

Le meas,

James

James,

I think you could say, for example

Iarraím bád a cheannacht.
Tá mé ag iarraidh bád a cheannacht.

Which would be substantially the same as your Spanish sentence.

You could also say, for example,

Tá fonn orm bád a cheannacht.

Which would be more like "the desire is on me to buy a boat."

I believe that in any case, you've got to use the verbal noun "ceannacht". As to why the object "bád" comes before it, you'll have to wait for one of the Guys Who Know to come and correct both of us:-)

--Al Evans

Al,

You're exactly right. I just read earlier today something about word order and as you stated object before verb is the standard format. I missed the boat (no pun) on that one.

I'm reading your first to be "I seek a boat to buy" and your second to be "I am at the seeking of a boat to buy" both of which make perfect sense to me. I guess there are some habits of translation structure that I'll have to break.

Go raibh mile maith agat.

James

James,

Stepping off into deep waters here, but...

I *think* that "I am seeking a boat to buy" would be more like "Iarraím bád le ceannacht."

"Iarraím bád a cheannacht" would be more like "I am seeking to buy a boat."

(Still waiting for the Guys Who Know to show up...:-)

--Al Evans