I am very confused about the use of ab.The whole concept puzzels me. So I am looking for help

Is is an chopail --> Ba is the past. Then B'fhearr liom = I would prefer, but what about ab. The dictonary tells me that you use ab when a word with a vowel follows. But why is it: Kate ab ainm di, instead of Kate b'ainm di?

I really don't get it, so any help is appreaciated. Go raibh míle maith agaibh!

Here's a simple enough way to remember.

If there's no vowel following it, then always use "ba":

Ba mhúinteoir é.
Sin ba chúis leis.
Cheannaigh mé an leabhar ba mhaith leis.
Ba é Seán an buachaill ba mhó sa rang.

When it's followed by a vowel, then it's either "b'" or "ab". The guideline is that you use "ab" everywhere... except for the places where you use "b'":

A) Start of a sentence: B'éin é. B'fhear é.

B) When something used to be better/smaller/higher: Bhí an bord ní b'fhearr. Bhí an cailín ní b'airde.
But not when it's the best/smallest/hightest: Ba é Seán an buachaill ab óige sa rang. Ba í Máire an cailin ab fhearr sa rang.

The overall exception to all of this is its use with pronouns:

Ba é Seán, Ba í Maíre, Ba iad na páistí
You don't contract it to "b'é", or "b'í", or "b'iad".

Yes. Ba é is pronounced like ba dh'é [bʷʌ ˈjeː], same thing for ba í and ba iad [bʷʌ ˈjiː], [bʷʌ ˈjəd̪ˠ]. 'Cause it was budh é, budh í, budh iad in Classical Irish.

Okay I think that clarifies a lot. Hehe I really like the sentence
The guideline is that you use "ab" everywhere... except for the places where you use "b'":

I will really have to look into an chopail a lot more I guess. So I might well be back.

Don't worry you pick up these things really quickly.

I'd like to visit an English Language class to see what way they learn stuff. I just waffle away in English without a second thought... but if you think about it, there's loads of stuff I had to get the hang of while learning it.

Think of how in Irish you have:
one = a haon
two = a dó
three = a trí
four = a ceathar

Then general guidline for making "fourth, eighth" in Irish is to stick a "ú" on the end. A beginner could be forgiven for making presumptions like the following:

Sin an dóú buachaill. (That's the second boy)

When in actual fact it should be:

Sin an dara buachaill.

Made me realise how I don't give a second thought to throwing out sentences like:

The first came after the second, which came after the third.

Or how I don't pause to think whether I'm working with a "plural" when I say: The kids swim, instead of "the kids swims".

You pick it up, the main thing is to just keep saying the words. Instead of rhyming off sentences in the book, get out a pen and paper and make up some of your own sentences:

Bhí Séan ní b'óige.
B'asal é, níor chapall é!
Ba ise an bhean ab áille.

Say the sentences out loud, your brain needs to get used to throwing the words together without a second thought. I'd liken it to skipping; skipping can be quite difficult at the start (more difficult for some than for others), and beginners are mesmorized by the people who can skip at amazing speeds throwing the rope at all different trajectories... but anyone can get that good if they practise. Question is, how much do you practise?

(Message edited by Fear_na_mBróg on January 28, 2006)