I've started a new thread to begin not only a new round, but to get us off to a new start using the correct name of the game - Fiche Ceist - Twenty Questions. There appear to be local variants (buíochas le mo mhac ) but I suggest that we continue playing the game as it's more universally known.

Here are the basic aspects of the game and some guidelines that I think may help to keep the game moving along and give all a chance to play:

1. One player is chosen to be the answerer, who thinks of someone famous. That is, the famous person should be somebody, dead or alive, that most people would know, like in our trial round, it was William Shakespeare. It should be a real person, and not some fictional character from a book or TV show.

2. Those who are interested in playing simply ask "yes" or "no" type questions, in Irish only. For example, an í bean í, an bhfuil sé/sí beo fos, (is it a woman, is he/she still alive, etc.

3. I think it's important to keep the game moving along, so those interested in playing should ask the next question as soon as a question is answered. We can use our own individual judgement about asking a few questions in a row. For example, if you ask a "clincher" type question which gives you the information you need to guess who it is, then by all means ask the next question. If you want to make an "educated" guess who it is, go ahead, but if you're way off, expect to "hear" a few chuckles from the rest of us. . If you get a "no" answer, you can decide if it's appropriate to "wait out" until someone else asks a question, but if the game isn't moving along, then I would suggest to go ahead and ask another question.

4. The game continues until

a. Someone guesses who it is by the 20th question. In that case, it's that person's turn to think of someone famous (or pass their turn in they're on some unbelievable winning streak )

b. Nobody guesses who it is by the 20th question. In that case, the answerer discloses who it is, and the game starts over, usually with the same person thinking of another famous person (or they can pass the chance to someone else if they'd like)

These are just guidelines on my part. I think that as we play along, we can discard and/or improve on any of the points above. Ok let the games begin. It's Ríona's turn since she won the first trial game.

An bhfuil tú réidh, a Ríona?

Sure then and I'm ready. My answers may be shaky but I'll try to copy how Mac Leinn did it in the other thread.

Beir bua agus beannacht

Maith thú a Ríona! Since the purpose of the game is to improve our Irish, we'll all be winners just by playing this game and using what Irish we have. We can only get better as time goes on.

An ea bean í?

Ceist 1 An ea bean i?

Is ea, is bean i.

quote:

An ea bean í?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fáilte roimh cheartúcháin, go raibh maith agaibh.

No "ea" here, just:

An bean í? - Is bean í.
An fear é? - Ní fear é.
(An ainmhí é?)

Awwwh, a Dennis, you just asked two more questions! - just kidding . All kidding aside - yeah, fáilte /romhat/roimh cheartúcháin big time!

I was hoping that we would get some help in terms of constructing our questions and answers, but I was reluctant to ask since I know that you've been on a self-imposed "special assignment," and Aonghus will be gone for some time. We could surely use your (and others' help) while we play the rounds. I'm still trying to figure out what are the best suggested guidelines for playing this game across this internet-based forum when the game is really designed for when driving in the car with family or friends, or other small-group settings.

So, if I understand correctly, when we respond to a question with the copula, we don't just write "is" or "'sea," as we would with other verbs, (mar shampla, tuigim, ni thuigim). I'm inquiring so that I can include some examples in the guidelines for Fiche Ceist - An Caighdeán Oifigiúil. Is innealtóir mé, mar sin, everything has to have a standard. .

Thanks for your help Dennis. And to you and all others, even if you're not playing the game (you gotta be in it to win it ) we would appreciate any help in improving our Irish if you'd like to posts corrections, etc. between, before or after any question or answer. If you post a correction or other helpful remark before we post a question or an answer, that means you have ESP, so don't spill out the correct answer, le do thoil!

An ceist seo chugainn, duine eigin?

I'll repost then. This site is useful for forming the questions:
Cúnamh anseo: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Fiche%20ceist
So, read the link first just like you'd read the rules of a games before you start into it. Then pick a question from the list and off you go. Get creative when you've got the swing of it. I think the game is a great idea. I'll start with one or two that are not on the list to get us to where Ríona got you:
An bhfuil sé beo? Is it alive?
An duine é? Is it a person?

Here's another useful site to help you move on from here:
http://www.flashcardexchange.com/flashcards/list/325678
Anois mo cheist, if that's OK:
An amhranánaí í?

Thanks for the link Oideachas. I was able to reach it a few days ago, but now I get stopped by our IT "big brother" with the message "you are trying to reach a site about criminal skills." Hmmm, I thought 20 Questions was still legal here in the States. .

To date (all two games! ) I thought we would play the game where the answerer thought of a famous person. But the site you listed expands the game to almost anything. I'm game (no pun intended) for that idea, and I think the answerer would start the game off with something like "Táim ag smaoinigh faoi run eigin" for "I'm thinking of something" or "Ta mé ag smaoinigh faoi duine eigin" for "I'm thinking of someone."

A Riona, looks like you have your next question (see above) so the ball is in your court.

Ceist 2 An amhranai i?

Ni he. Ni amhranai i.

An bhfuil ceisteanna agaibh?

An bean le Gaeilge í?

Ceist 3.

Is ea. Is bean le Gaeilge i.

An polaiteoir í?

Céisteanna mhaithe a Mhéabh agus Óráid!

Just a side note: I think it's a good idea, when the question is answered with the simple "yes" or "no" that is used in Irish, as Ríona has done, that the answerer might want to add a sentence, if they so desire, representing the answer as the positive or negative form of the question.

Using Ríona's answer above: Is ea. Is bean le Gaeilge i. Here, she has answered the question simply as yes (Is ea) and then continued by repeating the question in the postive for that Méabh asked, Is bean le Gaeilge i. I think doing this is a good idea, especially for beginners, since we get to further our practice in Irish, especially in the cases where the answer is "no," since the answerer has to form the negative of the question initially asked. Again, this is just a suggested guideline on my part.

Ok, freagra seo chugainn Ríona.

(Message edited by mac_léinn on March 03, 2007)

Is ea, is polaiteoir i.

Fuil a pairtí i gcumhacht anois?

An sise an tUachtarán na hÉireann, Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa?

Is ea! Maith thu!

I shall no doubt be casting my unfortunately nonexistant vote for her to be the next Taoseach.

Its your turn now, I guess you should start a new thread for it.

Beir bua agus beannacht

Excellent!!

I'll start a new thread for the next round!