I have decided to try a new self-teaching method: to create sentences that are relevant to my daily life.
If my sentences seem stilted and there are better ways of writing them, please give me any suggestions. Be aware though, I have reached Lesson 21 in "Learning Irish" and have recently repeated almost everything(should never have taken that long break after Christmas) and now I have reached Lesson 14. I remember little of the grammar after L 17. It's hard to memorise all the habitual, conditional and so on if I don't use them.

I am a little insecure as to where I should place 'ag + verb' in certain situations.

1) Cá bhfuil an gaoth huafásach ag imigh?

2) Dhá mbíodh mé i hEireann anois, go bhíodh mé meidreach(I got so tired of 'sásta' that I checked the dictionary for a different word. Don't know if it's usable though).

3) Is deacair a rá an mbeadh sé ar ais nó nach mbeadh.

4) Má bhím ar an dtraein, go bhím léisciúil.

5) Tá an scáthan seo a bheas mé ag ceannacht.

6) Nuair cónaigh mé go hEireann, beidh mé ag foghlaim Sean-Ghaeilge.

How do I say "I want to learn..."?

7) Feicim cupla gasuir atá siúl ar an tsraid agus tá siad an-tanaí.

8) Tá mó shaol casta. Uaireanta, iarr mé duine eile a bheith.

9) Sin é an fear a shilím atá mó leachtóir.

10) Chomh luath is goil(?) mé síos go hEireann, beidh mó shaol go hiontach.

11) Tá eicínt Gaeilge agam, ach eicínt amháin.

Is "Foclóir Scoile" a good dictionary even for Connemara-learners?

I made two new sentences that I'm adding here:

12) Seo é scéal faoin deireadh a shaol.
I was less inclined to write "Seo é scéal na deireadh a shaol" for some reason.
What if I want to emphasize "this"?

13) Tá barúil agam nach bhfuil sí folláin.
Can I say : Tá mó bharúil... ?

1) Cá bhfuil an gaoth huafásach ag imigh?

---> Cá bhfuil an ghaoth uafásach ag imeacht?

2) Dhá mbíodh mé i hEireann anois, go bhíodh mé meidreach(I got so tired of 'sásta' that I checked the dictionary for a different word. Don't know if it's usable though).

---> Dhá mbínn in Éirinn anois, bhínn meidhreach. (why do you put "go" before "bhíodh"?)

3) Is deacair a rá an mbeadh sé ar ais nó nach mbeadh.
---> right

4) Má bhím ar an dtraein, go bhím léisciúil.

---> Má bhím ar an traein, bhím leisciúil. (but I don’t see the link between taking the train and being lazy)

5) Tá an scáthan seo a bheas mé ag ceannacht.

---> I’ve not understood what you wanted to say in this sentence

6) Nuair cónaigh mé go hEireann, beidh mé ag foghlaim Sean-Ghaeilge.

---> Nuair a bheas mé in mo chónaí in Éirinn, beidh mé ag foghlaim Sean-Ghaeilge.

--->How do I say "I want to learn..."?
I want to learn Old Irish = Is mian liom Sean-Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim, tá mé ag iarraidh Seant-Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim.

7) Feicim cupla gasuir atá siúl ar an tsraid agus tá siad an-tanaí.
---> Feicim cúpla gasúr atá ag siúl ar an tsráid agus tá siad an-tanaí.

8) Tá mó shaol casta. Uaireanta, iarr mé duine eile a bheith.

---> Tá mo shaol casta. Uaireanta, ba mhian liom gur dhuine eile mé. (you can’t use "bheith" in such sentence)

9) Sin é an fear a shilím atá mó leachtóir.

---> Sin é an fear a shílim gurb é mo léachtóir é.

10) Chomh luath is goil(?) mé síos go hEireann, beidh mó shaol go hiontach.

---> Chomh luath is a bheas mé in Éirinn, beidh mo shaol go hiontach. (Be careful: mo = my; mó = bigger, in phrases)

11) Tá eicínt Gaeilge agam, ach eicínt amháin.

---> Tá beagán Gaeilge agam agus níl ach beagán. (you can’t use "éicínt" in such phrases. Some Irish = beagán Gaeilge.) Actually, when the English "some" means "an indefinite/indeterminated thing", you use éicínt (put after the word: duine éicínt = someone, áit éicínt = somewhere, etc). When "some" means "a certain amount of something", then it is said "beagán" in Irish, and it is put before the noun (which is in the genitive case). Some bread (=a certain quantity of bread) = beagán aráin.

Is "Foclóir Scoile" a good dictionary even for Connemara-learners?

---> Yes. It is very Standardised Irish, and Standard Irish is mainly based on Connemara Irish. But if you want real Connemara Irish, you’ll have to modify some features (you’ll find in Learning Irish or in books like that)


12) Seo é scéal faoin deireadh a shaol.

---> Seo scéal faoi dheireadh a shaoil. (about the end of his life).

I was less inclined to write "Seo é scéal na deireadh a shaol" for some reason.

---> "Seo scéal dheireadh a shaoil" would be right.

What if I want to emphasize "this"?

---> Maybe "Is scéal é seo faoi..."

13) Tá barúil agam nach bhfuil sí folláin.

---> Is é mo bharúil nach bhfuil sí folláin.

Can I say : Tá mó bharúil... ?

--->, no, you can’t use "tá": have to use "is".


Feicfidh mé thú !

Cá bhfuil an ghaoth uafásach ag imeacht?

---> What is the difference between imigh and imeacht?

Dhá mbínn in Éirinn anois, bhínn meidhreach. (why do you put "go" before "bhíodh"?)

---> I did not think that the verb could be lenited without any preceding 'go'. Must read LI again.

(but I don’t see the link between taking the train and being lazy)

---> Nevermind. :-) I knew what I wrote though.

I’ve not understood what you wanted to say in this sentence

---> I tried to say that "this is the mirror I will buy".

Dhá mbínn in Éirinn anois, bhínn meidhreach. (why do you put "go" before "bhíodh"?)

---> Why not hEireann?

Nuair a bheas mé in mo chónaí in Éirinn, beidh mé ag foghlaim Sean-Ghaeilge.

---> Could you please explain why 'in mo chónaí'? What are the grammatical rules?

Tá mo shaol casta. Uaireanta, ba mhian liom gur dhuine eile mé. (you can’t use "bheith" in such sentence)

---> Why ba? Why gur? When can I use 'bheith'?

Seo scéal faoi dheireadh a shaoil. (about the end of his life).

---> So no word is needed to show that it is THE end of his life? And 'faoi' lenites 'deireadh' because it is a preposition right?

Is é mo bharúil nach bhfuil sí folláin.

---> But a text in LI says "Tá barúil AG go leor daoine.." which would mean that I could use 'agam'?

---> What is the difference between imigh and imeacht?

Imigh = go away! (order form, the form you find as entry in most dictionaries).
Imeacht = going away, to go away. (verbal noun. The form you use after "ag", for example)

---> I did not think that the verb could be lenited without any preceding 'go'. Must read LI again.

Go doesn't lenite, it eclipses.

---> I tried to say that "this is the mirror I will buy".

= Sin an scáthán a cheannóidh mé.

Be careful, "beidh mé ag ceannach" doesn’t mean the same as "ceannóidh mé".
Beidh mé ag ceannach = I will be buying. (seldom used)
Ceannóidh mé = I will buy.


---> Why not hEireann?

hÉireann is the genitive form of Éire (so it means "of Ireland). After a preposition like "in", you have to use the dative case, which is Éirinn.
Éire = Ireland.
in Éirinn = in Ireland
muintir na hÉireann = the people of Ireland

---> Could you please explain why 'in mo chónaí'? What are the grammatical rules?

in mo chónaí or i mo chónaí or im chónaí, it is just the same Just depends on the dialect and on how fast you're speaking. In Ulster, we may say "in mo chónaí" or just " 'mo chónaí" in fast speech. I live (in a place) = tá mé i mo chónaí. I don't think the verb "cónaigh" is much used.

>Tá mo shaol casta. Uaireanta, ba mhian liom gur dhuine >eile mé. (you can’t use "bheith" in such sentence)

>---> Why ba? Why gur? When can I use 'bheith'?

You can’t use "bheith" when the verb "to be" is used to link two nouns or pronouns together. Have to use "is" and its forms in this case.
Ba mhian liom = I would like (literally "would-be a desire with-me")
gur dhuine eile mé = that I would be another person (lit. "that-would-be person other I")

"Ba" is the conditional of "is" (so it means "would be"). "Gur" + lenition is "go" + "ba" ("that... would be").


>Seo scéal faoi dheireadh a shaoil. (about the end of his life).

---> So no word is needed to show that it is THE end of his life?

No, actually you can’t use the definite article because "deireadh" is already definite by "a shaoil": you know which life you’re talking about, so in Irish you don’t use the article before. It would be like saying "the John’s life" or "the my mother’s house", or something like that.

And 'faoi' lenites 'deireadh' because it is a preposition right?

Faoi lenites deireadh because faoi always lenites the following word. Not especially because it is a preposition: there are prepositions that make no change on the following word, and other ones that eclipse.



>Is é mo bharúil nach bhfuil sí folláin.

>---> But a text in LI says "Tá barúil AG go leor >daoine.." which would mean that I could use 'agam'?]


Tá barúil ag go leor daoine = many people have an opinion (literally "is opinion at enough of people")

"Tá barúil agam" sounds odd to me here, although it is gramatically right. It means "I have an opinion". If you wanna say "I think", there are plenty of expressions in Irish: dar liom, sílim, measaim, tá mé ag déanamh, tá mé ag meas, is é mo bharúil, is é mo thuairim, ceapaim...

Go raibh maith 'ad, a Lughaidh!

Lughaidh, you're confusing me about 'ag ceannacht'.
Even though it is seldom, it is listed in LI so I'm determined to use it.

Checked LI and found that cónaí is the verbal noun of cónaigh. :-) I suppose that 'in mo chónaí' is idomatic?

---> Go doesn't lenite, it eclipses.

Of course! :-) *smacks head*

Agree with you that "tá barúil agam" sounds strange in that sentence. I suppose it can be used alone, if I'm just saying that I have an opinion? Thanks for those suggestions, they will really be helpful!

Does 'níor' cause lenition or eclipsis?

Thanks again!

Checked LI and found that cónaí is the verbal noun of cónaigh. :-) I suppose that 'in mo chónaí' is idomatic?

Yeah it is. The verb cónaím does exist, but i’ve never heard nor read it so far except in dictionaries. I(n) mo chónaí is idiomatic, indeed, and it is what most Irish speakers would use, in order to say "I live (somewhere)".

I suppose it can be used alone, if I'm just saying that I have an opinion?

I think so.

Does 'níor' cause lenition or eclipsis?

Always lenition, except in some specific cases (some verbal form cannot be lenited), especially with the impersonal forms of the verbs in the past:
níor ceannaíodh arán = one has not bought bread, bread has not been bought, etc.

quote:

The verb cónaím does exist, but i’ve never heard nor read it so far except in dictionaries.

Úsáidtear é mar sin féin. Déan "chónaigh" a chuardach le Google agus agus geobhaidh tú a lán samplaí de.

It is no proof. You'll find loads of wrong Irish on Google. Once I searched words with mistakes (like Éirann, Gaelige, etc) and I found thousands of them on Google. So many occurrences on Google doesn’t mean it is right, or common in the language.

Cónaím does exist, but I don’t think it’s very common in Modern Irish. At least, we can say it isn’t as common as "bheith ina chónaí".

quote:

Cónaím does exist, but I don’t think it’s very common in Modern Irish. At least, we can say it isn’t as common as "bheith ina chónaí".

Raight. Seo mar a thuigimse é:

Tá sé ina chónaí i... = He lives in...
Chónaíonn sé... = He dwells / resides...