Cad í an Ghaeilge ar "i wonder..."

e.g.
-"i wonder if he knows irish"
-"i wonder if it will rain today"
-"i wonder what's on tv"

GRMA

N'fheadar = I don't know.

This is how I'd say it but I don't know if it's the closest.

I wonder if he knows Irish? = N'fheadar an bhfuil Gaeilge aige?

I wonder if it will rain today? = N'fheadar an mbeidh báisteach againn inniu?

I wonder what's on tv? = N'fheadar cad tá ar an teilifís?

That's sort of Munster dialect plus school Irish. I'm not sure it's grammatically correct but I think it conveys the meaning.

Tá mé ag déanamh iontas an mbeadh Gaeilge aige...?

Tá mé ag déanamh iontas an mbeadh Gaeilge aige...?

I don't think so. It sounds too strong to me. More like - 'I'm amazed that he would have Irish."

ag déanamh iontais

There's loads of ways you could express that.

Táim fiosrach an bhfuil an Ghaeilge aigesean.
Tá fiosracht orm an bhfuil an Ghaeilge aigsean.

Tá iontas orm an bhf...

Déanaim iontas de an bhf...


My personal favourite:

Is ionadh liom an bhf...


An dtaitníonn briathra "is" le héinne anseo mar a thaitníonn liomsa!?

Tá mé ag déanamh is used in Ulster to express "I think, I believe".

Déanaim iontas de go bhfuil Gaeilge aige: I'm surprised that he has Irish

N'fheadar comes closest to "I wonder"

Déanaim iontas de go bhfuil an Ghaeilge aige: I make a wonder of it that he speaks Irish = It's a wonder to me that he speaks Irish / It's suprising to me that he speaks Irish.

Déanaim iontas de an bhfuil an Ghaeilge aige: I make of it does he speak Irish = I wonder if he speaks Irish.

Ionadh = wonder (the adjective, NOT the noun)

Is ionadh liom an bhfuil

To me, it's a wonder does he...

No. Doesn't work that way!
Ionadh/iontas means wonder in the sense of surprise, not in the sense of speculation

iontas [ainmfhocal firinscneach den chéad díochlaonadh]
rud gan choinne; oscailt súl, rud iontach nó suntasach (seacht n-iontais an domhain).
ionadh [ainmfhocal firinscneach den chéad díochlaonadh]
iontas.

For completeness the adjective:

iontach [aidiacht den chéad díochlaonadh]
a bhainfeadh preab asat toisc é a theacht gan choinne, a chuirfeadh iontas ort; strainséartha (tá an obair iontach aige go fóill); maith, breá, nótáilte (d'éirigh go hiontach leis); an- (tá sé iontach te).

N'fheadar:

feadair [ainm briathartha][uireasach]
(iarsma de bhriathar).


an bhfeadraís (an bhfuil a fhios agat?).
ní fheadar (níl, ní raibh, a fhios agam (ní fheadar cá bhfuil, cá raibh, sé)).
ní fheadramar (níl, ní raibh, a fhios againn).

All these definitions from: http://www.csis.ul.ie/focloir/

An Foclóir Beag: a superb resource

From "Learning Irish" p. 167: "Bhí sí ag déanamh iontas céard a cheannódh sí." - She was wondering what she would buy..... Looks right to me!

Can anyone explain to me why:

Bhí sé ag déanamh obair mhaith

Bhí sé ag déanamh iontas

are correct grammar?!

And why is it:

Bhí sé ag seinm ceoil

as opposed to

Bhí sé ag seinm cheoil ?

Why is "I am making haste." good English grammar? I'm not sure about your second question, but I'm pretty sure "Learning Irish" says that a DEFINITE noun following the verbal noun is in the genitive (except in certain set expressions). "Tá sí ag glanadh na hoifige." It might just be a dialectical thing.

I ask as I'm curious why it isn't:

Bhí sé ag déanamh oibre maithe

Bhí sé ag déanamh iontais


As for my second question, seinm is feminine, therefore there should be a séimhiú. Similarly:

Bhí sé ag tógáil milseán.

ag seinm in that case IS A VERB.
Also, the noun seinm is MASCULINE. So is ceol, which is the object of "ag seinm"

seinm [ainm briathartha][ainmfhocal firinscneach]
ceol a bhaint as uirlis; ceol a dhéanamh (éin ag seinm).

The key to the rest is probably in Celtoids quote i.e. it must be a DEFINITE noun.
Good work is indefinite - it is not a specific piece of work that is being referred to.

A Chairde,

I don't wish to open a can of worms but the noun seinm is listed in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, Collins Irish Dictionary and Oxford Irish Dictionary as a feminine noun.

Any comments??

Le meas,

Larry.

Is baininscneach an t-ainmfhocal é. Thus:

Chuala mé an tseinm.

Cad údar na seinme?

Taitníonn an tseinm cheoil liom.

Ach........

Bhí sé ag seinm ceoil.

Gan séimhiú. CÉN FATH?!!


As for DEFINITE:

Bhí mé ag lorg eolais
Bhí mé ag bearradh gruaige
Bhí mé ag oscailt fhuinneoige (seimhiú?)
Bhí mé ag seinm cheoil (séimhiú?)

I don't see any reason at all why there would'nt be a séimhiú!

And why in the hell is it:

Bhí mé ag déanamh obair mhaith?!!

http://www.acmhainn.ie/tearmai/seimhiu.htm

Tá na rialacha casta - is teanga atá ann!

(ii) Nuair is ainm briathartha nó ainmfhocal gníomhaíochta an chéad ainmfhocal agus gur ainmní nó cuspóir an dara ceann aige ní shéimhítear an dara ceann:

admháil creidimh, bainistíocht punainne, buachailleacht bó, foghlaim ceirde, forbairt pobail, géimneach bó, (ag) imirt peile, innealtóireacht bogearraí, léim capaill, teip trealaimh, titim sneachta



Áirítear ag fáil bháis, ag fáil bhisigh, (ag) gabháil fhoinn, (ag) gabháil cheoil mar eisceachtaí agus séimhítear iad.

Féach, freisin, Nótaí don Chaighdeán Leathan, lch 8.


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Ní thaitníonn sé liom.