The first word is translated "yet", the second one "already". But to me those English words mean the same, only "yet" is used in negative sentences or questions whereas "already" in positive. Is it the same distinction in Irish, or there are some REAL differences in meaning? Is it ceart to say both:

Táim ag baile fós/ Táim ag baile cheana.

An bhfuilim ag baile fós?/ An bhfuilim ag baile cheana?

Or only one is correct?

GRMA

fós [dobhriathar]
go fóill, le teacht (tá sé luath fós, déanfaidh sé fós é); arís, chomh maith leis sin (agus ceann eile fós, níos deise fós); mar sin féin (ach fós, ní hé féin a dúirt é).

cheana [dobhriathar]
roimhe seo nó sin; eile, deireanach (an oíche cheana); cinnte (an bhfuil tart ort? Tá cheana).

---

Cuireann siad suiomh san am i iúl.

Táim ag baile fós - I still haven't left home
Taim ag baile cheana (féin)- I have already arrived home

Péire samplaí eile duit:

Rinne mé cheana é. - I already did it. / I've already done it.
Ní dhearna mé fós é. - I didn't do it yet. / I haven't done it yet.

Ach cad é fé cheisteanna?

An bhfuil an dinnéar te fós?

is it "still" or "yet" in this sentence?

quote:

An bhfuil an dinnéar te fós?

is it "still" or "yet" in this sentence?

Ná bac leis an mBéarla. Tá a fhios ag an té a chuir an cheist go raibh an dinnéar te, ach níl a fhios aige an bhfuil sé te anois nó fuar. Is féidir "An bhfuil sé te go fóill?" a rá freisin.

An bhfuil an dinnéar te fós?	is the dinner hot yet (ie. táthar á théamh)
An bhfuil an dinnéar fós te?	is the dinner still hot

a bheadh agamsa.

Bheinn in ann an dá bhrí sin a fháil as an gcéad abairt, actually, gan aon athrú ar ord na bhfocal. Is ait an rud é, ach ní bhraithim go bhfuil "fós" débhríoch sa Ghaeilge, bíodh is gur féidir dhá aistriúchán a chur air i mBéarla!

'Ag baile' no 'sa bhaile'? Agus ar fhaitíos go gceapann éinne go bhfuilim ag iarraidh dul ag troid faoi seo, nílim. Creid é led' thoil. Tá mé ag iarraidh a fháil amach an bhfuil 'ag baile' coitianta mar úsáidim 'sa bhaile.'Sin é agus sin an méid. Le bhúr dtoil (mar tá faitíos orm go mbeidh míthuiscint ann arís),
C

quote:

mar úsáidim 'sa bhaile.'

Mise freisin. Ach féach an úsáid a bhain an file Máirtín Ó Direáin as "ag baile" sa dán "Faoiseamh A Gheobhadsa". Cainteoir ó dhúchas a bhí ann.

Faoiseamh a gheobhadsa
Seal beag gairid
I measc mo dhaoine
Ar oileán mara,
Ag siúl cois cladaigh
Maidin is tráthnóna
O Luan go satharn
Thiar ag baile.

Faoiseamh a gheobhadsa
Seal beag gairid
I measc mo dhaoine,
Ó chrá croí,
Ó bhuairt aigne,
Ó uaigneas duairc,
Ó chaint ghontach,
Thiar ag baile.

Fuaireas sompla eile:

“Deiridís go mba chóir don scúille seo fanacht sa bhaile agus rud éigin a dhéanamh dá mháthair.”

Sé Máirtín Díreáin an t-údar. Fiú amháin ag an gcainteoir seo a bhí an dá fhoirm, nach iontach é!

An dán is fearr liom sa saol a roghnaigh tú! Rud éigin faoi mná agus oileán agus ag iarraidh ár saol féin a chrothú fiú amháin in ár samhlaíocht, a thaitníonn liom measaim. Is tuigim an brí. Tá brí láidir ag 'baile' anseo. Ach sa chaint laethiúl, nuair nach bhfuilimid chomh 'poetic' sin, is fearr 'sa bhaile' ceapaim.

Go raibh maith agaibh.

Faoiseamh a gheobhadsa
Seal beag gairid ... Tá mé ag seoladh leis.
:)

Cheana
1. Most common meaning = Already/ beforehand (Neg. never)
It's usually used with the present perfect in English.

Chonaic mé cheana é. I've already seen it.
Níor theip orm cheana. I've never failed before.

Mar atá ráite cheana féin... As has already been stated...
Bhfuil sé déanta 'at cheana féin? Have you done it already?

2. Other, time gone by (Past tense)
An lá cheana chonaic mé... The other day I saw...
An oíche cheana nuair a bhí siad anseo... That night when they were here...

3. Cheana féin. Already as in 'so soon'
Used with the present.
Tá an oíche ann cheana féin. It is night already.

4. Indeed (Present tense)
An bhfuil ocras ort? Tá cheana. Yes indeed.
An tusa atá ann? Is mé cheana.

5. Agus cheana = Furthermore
Ach cheana = But anyhow
Ag seo cheana an ní a deir sí = Moreover, this is what she says.

Róman,
What did you mean to say by these sentences in English? Can you give me a translation?

Táim ag baile fós/ Táim ag baile cheana.

An bhfuilim ag baile fós?/ An bhfuilim ag baile cheana?

GRMT,
C

Fós
1. The most common meaning is yet/still.
'Still' for a statement and 'yet' for negative or a negative question.
Tá sé ann fós. He is still there.
Bhfuil se ann fós? Is he still there?
Nach bhfuil sé ann fós? Isn't he there yet?
Níl sé ann fós. He's not there yet.

Having said that, our Irish way of using 'yet' can be confusing.
Tá sé luath fós. I'd translate as 'It's still early.'
However, it can also be translated as 'It's early yet.

2. Still or yet (with more)
Tuilleadh fós. Still more.
Ceann eile fós. Yet another one.

3. Even
Fós, má dhéanann tú é... Even if you do it...

4. Agus fós = Moreover

And, as Aonghus noted, changing the position of 'fós' in the sentence can change the meaning.

At the end of the sentence in a positive question, it's yet.

Táim fós sa bhaile. I'm still at home.
An bhfuil tú fós sa bhaile? Are you still at home?

An bhfuil tú sa bhaile fós? Are you home yet?
Nílim sa bhaile fós. I'm not home yet.
Nach bhfuil tú sa bhaile fós? Aren't you home yet?

Bhfuil se ann fós? Is he still there? is a confusing example. Sorry. If it sounds like 'Bhfuil sé ann, fós?' it can mean that as in 'Is he there, still?'

For clarity it's better to say
Bhfuil sé ann fós? Is he there yet?
Bhfuil sé fós ann? Is he still there?

sa bhaile v. ag baile is surely a dialectal thing as well, keep in mind Roman's linguistic preferences...

I also think that there are nuances.

"Thiar ag baile" "back home", spoken by the poet who is stuck in dirty Dublin.

"fan sa bhaile" stay at home

Go bhfios dom, deirtear "sa bhaile" sa Chonamara agus "ag baile" nó "aige baile" sa Mhumhain.

Féach an sampla so:

"Bímse ar scoil ag obair go dian,
Is mo chaitín aige baile ina choladh fén ngréin"

(ó Rabhlaí Rabhlaí - spelling is matched to pronunciation on CD)

Ok, I will explain an scéal go léir. Tá leabhar agamsa - An Ghaeilge le Gussman. Tá an abairt (freagra) seo ann:

An bhfuil an dinnéar ullamh fós?

I was confused. If "fós" = "still", then this sentence doesn't make sense "Is the dinnear still ready?". I knew that for "already" you use "cheana" so that's why I posted my initial post.

So what I understood from all contributors -

"Tá sé ann fós" = "Tá sé ann cheana" - "already"
but
"Tá sé fós ann" - "still".

In the questions you don't use "cheana", only "fós" with the same difference in meaning -

An bhfuil sé ann fós? - already/yet
An bhfuil sé fós ann? - still

An fíor dom?

1. Re. 'sa bhaile v. ag baile is surely a dialectal thing.'
Sin é mo cheist. 'Ag baile' no 'sa bhaile'? I've always used 'sa bhaile.'
Tá mé ag iarraidh a fháil amach an bhfuil 'ag baile' coitianta sa chaint áit éigin. Usáidim 'sa bhaile' is úsáideann Dennis 'sa bhaile.' Céard a úsáideann daoine ó áiteachaí eile? Deireann an foclóir 'sa bhaile.'

2. 'Aige baile' is also new to me.

"Bímse ar scoil ag obair go dian,
Is mo chaitín aige baile ina choladh fén ngréin"

'Ag a baile' (at her house) sounds like 'aige baile.' When you say 'spelling is matched to pronunciation on CD' could this simply be a spelling mistake? Or could it be a version of 'bail' and the cat is prospering? As we're talking poetry here Róman, it's probably not a good idea to use it as a source for everyday speech.

3. Re. 'In the questions you don't use "cheana", only "fós" with the same difference in meaning'
I believe the most common use of 'cheana' is with the past in Irish. Your examples were in the present.

4.It would help if you could let me know (in English) what you meant to say by the original four sentences you had.
Thanks,

I hope the difference is becoming clearer,
C

quote:

Tá mé ag iarraidh a fháil amach an bhfuil 'ag baile' coitianta sa chaint áit éigin.

Fuair mé sampla eile ar an líon, ón scéal "Iníon an Cheannaí". Tá an scéal suite i gCorcaigh, agus scríofa (nó "scríte" sa chás seo) i nGaeilge na Mumhan. Scéal ón mbéaloideas é, de réir cosúlachta.

"Is ea, a chéile chneasta," ar sise, "ó tánn tú agamsa ag baile anois, agus sinn fé mhaise agus ár leanbhín, beidh síochán agus suaineas againn go deireadh ár laetha."

http://wikisource.org/wiki/In%C3%ADon_an_Cheanna%C3%AD

Go raibh maith agat, Dennis. Tuigim é nuair a chiallaíonn sé filleadh tar éis tamall fada is mothucáin láidir ag baint leis ach an bhfuil sé coitianta agus daoine ag iarraidh 'at home' a rá? Sin é mo cheist. Is it the most common or even frequently used way to say 'at home' in any dialect?