OK, let's all practice using a verb.

We'll do it like those "word association" threads you sometimes see on forums. Each post should be short (one or two sentences), and *must* use the verb Téigh (go) in some form. It can be a statement, a question, or an exclamation.

Hopefully, each post will lead to another post that is somehow associated with it--either by answering the question or talking about a similar topic.

Feel free to ask questions (about grammar, spelling, translations, etc.) and/or post corrections. We're all here to learn, after all. Go raibh maith agaibh!

I'll start it off with a couple of posts. Again, feel free to correct me if I make any mistakes. (I'm making this up as I go, and I'm definitely not an advanced student.)

An dtéann tú ar an siopa gach lá?

[Do you go to the store every day?]

Téim. Chuaigh mé ar an Siopa Apple inné.

[Yes. I went to the Apple Store yesterday.]

Dúirt sí go ndeachaigh sé ceannach rud éigin an seachtain seo caite.

[She said that he went to buy something last week.]

Ceartúcháin:
--->An dtéann tú ar an siopa gach lá?
--->Téim. Chuaigh mé ar an Siopa Apple inné.

Why "ar an siopa"? I know it can be said, but it's rare and a bit strange (to me). The most common ways to say that are:
An dtéann tú go dtí an siopa / chuig an siopa / chun an tsiopa gach lá
Chuaigh mé go siopa Apple (=Apple's shop) inné / go dtí an siopa Apple / chuig an siopa Apple / chun an tsiopa Apple (=to the Apple-shop)

---> "Dúirt sí go ndeachaigh sé ag ceannach rud éigin an tseachtain seo caite"

;-)


My own sentence:


Tá mé ag tnúth le ghabháil ar aist go Tír Chonaill.

[I am eager to go back to Tyrconnel].

(For learners:
(a) ghabháil is the Donegal form of Standard "dul" = verbal noun for "to go")

(Message edited by Lughaidh on March 01, 2006)

An bhfuair tú na h-úlla ar chuaigh tú ceannaigh ? An raibh siad maith leat?

I actually understood "...ghabháil..." as 'getting back to/ going ...'

Sílim go ndeachaigh Dearg go dtí an síopa ríomhaire a cheannach cé gurbh fhéidir go ndeachaigh sí úlla a cheannach.

A couple of syntax mistakes.

An bhfuair tú na h-úlla ar chuaigh tú ceannaigh ? An raibh siad maith leat?

An bhfuair tú na húlla a chuaigh tú a cheannach ? Ar mhaith leat iad?

Sílim go ndeachaigh Dearg go dtí an síopa ríomhaire a cheannach cé gurbh fhéidir go ndeachaigh sí úlla a cheannach.

Sílim go ndeachaigh Dearg go dtí an siopa le/chun ríomhaire a cheannach cé gurbh fhéidir go ndeachaigh sí a cheannach úll.

A Lughaidh,

Scríobh Larry: "... go ndeachaigh sí úlla a cheannach." agus scríobh tú: "... go ndeachaigh sí a cheannach úll."

---

I thought that in a sentence with a definite object, in this case 'apples', the object precedes the verbal noun. Have I misunderstood something here?

Christine.

Most of the time, the object precedes the verbal noun. But in some cases, you have to put it after (and in the genitive case.
Example:

I'm eating an apple = Tá mé ag ithe úill. (You can't put the object before "ithe")


When you say "to go to do something", you use the verb to go in Irish + a/ag + verbal noun of "to do" + the object in the genitive case.

I'm going to write a letter=

Táim ag dul ag scríobh litreach (Munster)
Tá mé ag goil ag scríobh litreach (Connemara)
Tá mé ag gabháil a scríobh litreach (Ulster)

You can't say

* "Chuaigh mé rud a dhéanamh"

Have to say:

"Chuaigh mé ag déanamh / a dhéanamh ruda".

A Lughaidh,

quote:

I'm going to write a letter=

Táim ag dul ag scríobh litreach (Munster)

Sounds like a litteral translation from English :( Is it a native Irish expression?

Le meas

Yeah it is native Irish. It isn't an Anglicism, since it means "I am at going at the writing of a letter".

A Chrístíona,

Is ag Lughaidh atá an ceart maidir leis an abairt.

Lughaidh is a more experienced user of the language. I should have included "le" in my version because it expresses the notion of "with the intention of doing something."

The verbal noun can be very complicated in its usage and I have yet to see a good summary in a text book.

I should have put more thought into what I was writing.

Sorry for any confusion ;)