I am trying the best I can to practice writing something in irish everyday, but so far have no one able to correct me. I do not wish to go on doing it the wrong way.
Here is what I wrote today.

Thuigim go tá Gaeilge níos deacair ná Bearla. Ach tá trioblóid beag agam. Táim an duine aonair go tá fios agam ag foghlaim Gaeilge. Tá sé deacair a cleacht sé. Teastaim leabhar saor a déan staidéar ar Gaeilge.
Ceartann sibh mé, le do thoil.

Go raibh maith agaibh!
Cáit.

"Thuigim go tá Gaeilge níos deacair ná Bearla. Ach tá trioblóid agam"

Tuigim go bhfuil Gaeilge níos deacraí ná Béarla, ach tá fadhb orm."

"Táim an duine aonair go tá fios agam ag foghlaim Gaeilge. Tá sé deacair a cleacht sé. "

I'm sorry, but this is incomprehensible. Could you please provide the English version, then I'm sure we can work out an Irish sentence from it.

"Teastaim leabhar saor a déan staidéar ar Gaeilge"

Are you saying that you need a free book to study Irish? Again, the English version would be helpful.

"Ceartann sibh mé, le do thoil."

An gceartódh sibh mé, le bhur dtoil?


Then, let me say that you are doing exactly the right thing. Never mind the fact that there are many errors here - we all started out that way. I remember my own first attempts at Irish, especially at speaking Irish. Much worse than anything ever seen on Daltaí, I can assure you :-) The same goes for my first attempts at English as well - just keep practicing over and over again, and you'll improve in no time at all.

(Message edited by jonas on March 31, 2005)

What on earth happened to the bold text in my last message, it didn't work at all. Has that function been disabled?

quote:

Táim an duine aonair go tá fios agam ag foghlaim Gaeilge.

I assume this is "I am the only person I know who is learning Irish"

I'd write

Níl aithne agam ar aoinne eile atá ag foghlaim gaeilge.
(I don't know anybody else who is learning Irish)

quote:

Tá sé deacair a cleacht sé

Tá sé deacair í a chleachtadh (gaeilge is feminine!).


Coinnigh ort! Ná caill do mhisneach!

I wonder does bold work for me?

I'm the only person I know who is learning Irish. It's difficult to practice.

Mise an t-aon duine amháin atá ag foghlaim Gaeilge chomh fada agus atá a fhios agam. Tá sé deacair cleachtadh a dhéanamh.

Mise an t-aon duine amháin atá ag foghlaim Gaeilge chomh fada agus atá a fhios agam.

That would mean
I am, as far as I know, the only person who is learning Irish.

Absolutely correct, better to say someting like :

Is mise an t-aon duine amháin atá ag foghlaim Gaeilge im cheantar féin chomh fada agus atá a fhios agam.

bold
italics
bold italics

quote:

Thuigim go tá Gaeilge níos deacair ná Bearla. Ach tá trioblóid beag agam. Táim an duine aonair go tá fios agam ag foghlaim Gaeilge. Tá sé deacair a cleacht sé. Teastaim leabhar saor a déan staidéar ar Gaeilge.
Ceartann sibh mé, le do thoil.

Go raibh maith agaibh!
Cáit.

My guess is that you're trying to say:

I understand that Irish is more difficult than English. But I'm having a little bit of trouble. I'm the only person I know that's learning Irish. It's difficult to practise it. I want a free book to study Irish. Correct me please.

Tuigim go bhufuil Gaeilge níos deacra ná Béarla. Ach táim i mbeagán trioblóide. Mise an duine amháin ar a bhfuil aithne agam atá ag foghlaim Gaeilge. Is deacair í a chleachtadh. Tá leabhar saor ag teastáil uaim le hí a chleachtadh. Ceartaigí mé le do thoil.

Cruinn, ach gan mórán blas air, a FnaB.
(seachas typo beag amháin bhufuil)

The problem with translating English to Irish this way is that you get convoluted, stilted Irish.

quote:

Mise an duine amháin ar a bhfuil aithne agam atá ag foghlaim Gaeilge.

Níl aithne agam ar aoinne eile atá ag foghlaim gaeilge.

says the same, but better.

A Chait, a chara,

Don't be disillusioned in any way by the mistakes you made. It was an admirable attempt. Just remember though that go takes the dependant form of the verb. Keep up the good work.

I'm guessing you're trying to say workbook, a Cháit a chara, because I was always looking for those, studying on my own.
Conas a dearfá 'work book'? leabhar saothair maybe? It sounds kind of like saor.

Ádh mór.

Leabhar oibre, b'fheidir?

"Chomh fada agus atá a fhios agam" seems to be the exact translation of English "as far as i know", which sounds odd to me (most idiomatic expression in Irish have nothin in common with the English ones). In order to translate "as far as I know" in idiomatic Irish, i know "go bhfios domh" ("with knowledge to me") and "ar feadh m’eolais" ("during my knowledge").