Can someone help me out please , with the difference between

Is maith liom a beith ag .. ( snamh , tomaint , léabh etc )

and simply is maith liom ag .. ( rith , etc )

Im going to attempt to answer my own question as I think i can guess at the answer.

The first translates as I love (going , doing. being ) swimming , driving , reading
and the second states that you may like swimming or running but not necessarily participating in it i.e I like boxing vs I like to box.
Am I right ?
If so I come on to a second question. Why can the 'ag' be left out sometimes ? Is math liom feachaint an nuacht.

does this infer a difference in meaning or just simplification of everyday speach ?

any clarification would be most helpful , thank you

The first is right:
Is maith liom bheith ag ...
The second is wrong:
*Is maith liom ag ...
After is maith liom follows a noun or a verbal noun, (or a clause with go or nach), but not "ag".
Is maith liom snámh, tiomáint, léamh, ...
Of course you can put the verbal noun bheith with following ag after "is maith liom".
Is maith liom bheith ag snámh, bheith ag tiomáint, bheith ag léamh. (I like being ...)

quote:

and the second states that you may like swimming or running but not necessarily participating in it i.e I like boxing vs I like to box.
Am I right ?

No. "ag snámh" is not a gerund as is "swimming" in English.
Keep in mind:
"swimming" as in "I am swimming" is "Tá mé ag snámh"
"swimming" as a noun is "snámh" alone.

The phrase "ag snámh" needs a form of bí (tá, bheith, bhí ...) to be complete (well, OK, a form of téigh or some other verbs will do, too)
"ag snámh" means nothing alone (OK, for a headline a form of bí can be left out, and there are a few more exceptions, of course, e.g. after agus, but that's something different. And "ag snámh" is always progressive aspect.)

Following "is maith liom" the phrase "ag snámh" is impossible, either "snámh" alone or "bheith ag snámh" is necessary.

quote:

Why can the 'ag' be left out sometimes ? Is math liom feachaint an nuacht.

Not sometimes, always.
Is maith liom féachaint ar an nuacht
Of course you could say:
Is maith liom bheith ag féachaint ar an nuacht

Lars

(Message edited by lars on January 29, 2009)

The second is wrong!

Is maith liom bheith ag + activity
Is maith liom + thing (e.g. uachtar reoite)
Is maith liom (féachaint ar an nuacht)

Ní fhaca mé freagra cuimsitheach Lars; is fearr go mór é!

That is very concise and explains it very well , thank you very much. Kind of you to take the time.
However one other question now arises.

could i write or say ' Is maith liom feic ar ....something

the difference is mood being I like to watch telly
and I like watching telly , subtle but different , can this be done in Irish ?

(Message edited by geroid on January 29, 2009)

Is maith liom [bheith ag] féachaint ar teilifís

But I prefer "faire"

Is maith liom [bheith ag] faire ar teilifís

Up North, they use

coimhéad

Is maith liom teilifís a choimhéad (open to correction there)

I think we should use the article before "teilifís", or it would mean "I like watching a television".

Is maith liom bheith ag coimheád na teilifíse.

quote:

could i write or say ' Is maith liom feic ar ....something

No, feic is not a verbal noun. (It is 2nd person imperative.)
The verbal noun is feiceáil or feicsint, feiscint.

I don't think feic (feiceáil) is used with ar
"look" is féach (féachaint), amharc (amharc), breathnaigh (breathnú) or coimhéad (coimhéad). Here you can use ar = at
"feic(eáil)" is only "see". No preposition is needed.
Is maith liom na cailíní a fheiceáil = I like to see the girls
Is maith liom féachaint ar na cailíní = I like to look at the girls

Lars

(Message edited by lars on January 29, 2009)

again thank you all very much this is very helpful.

Lughaidh, ní dóigh liom go bhfuil alt riachtanach anseo.

Tá dhá bhrí le teilfís - an bosca úd sa chúinne, agus an truflais a bhíonn air. Agus muid ag tagairt don dara rud, is dóigh liom go bhfuil sé éiginnte go leor le bheith gan alt.

Just when I think I have got it , I come across another use of a beith which has confused me

Ba mhaith liom fion geal a bheith agam.


'I would like me to be having a glass of white wine '

Is there a more simple way of saying this ?

would Ba mhaith liom fion geal agam be correct
or does this change or lose meaning ?

My interest in this is that I have noticed how even the slightest change in Irish can alter meaning and would be loathe to be the fool a bheith agam :)

1	Ba mhaith liom fíon geal a bheith agam	I wold like to own some white wine
2	Ba mhaith liom fíon geal	I would like some white wine
3	Ba mhaith liom fíon geal agam	(odd!) I would like to possess white wine all the time

I would only use 2 if I were asking for some wine, or being offered a choice between white or red.

But if being offered a choice, I'd likely say "Geal, le'd thoil!"

Bíonn blas ar an mbeagán.

Aonghus , thank you and i have to say the third one is definitely odd, I would want to possess red wine all the time :)

What I meant is that the sentence is grammatical, but I don't think anybody would say it.

Tá an abairt maith go leor inti féin ach aontaím le hAonghus gur beag duine a déarfadh a leithéid maidir le fíon.
Yes, the sentence is fine but I agree with Aonghus that you wouldn't expect to hear it said of wine.

Ó, míle b’fhearr liom agam an buachaillín deas óg
A thiocfadh isteach ar maidin 's a bhéarfadh dhomsa póg!

quote:

Ba mhaith liom fíon geal agam (odd!) I would like to possess white wine all the time

Hmm. Ní thuigim.
Perhaps "a bheith" could be left out here:
Ba mhaith liom fíon geal (a bheith) agam
But why should it have a different meaning? Why "all the time"?

Lars

Ceist mhaith, a Lars.

Níl mé cinnte, ach deir m'instinn liom gurbh é sin an chiall. Ciall chiallmhar i gcás nath Abigail, ach aisteach i leith fíon geal nó dearg!

Seo dornán samplaí ón dTobar; n'fheadar an gcuireann siad le mó chas in aon chor.


maith liom agam
Máirtín Ó Direáin: Feamainn Bhealtaine

13 - 17 as 17: abairt 3948, ag toiseacht ar lch 159, líne 6

Dúirt mé liom féin an t-am sin go mba mhaith liom cóip de
agam, ach lig mé as cuimhne ainm an udair agus níl ainm an
leabhair féin ró-chruinn agam.


maith liom agam
Séamus 'ac Grianna: Nuair a Bhí Mé Óg

1 - 4 as 7: abairt 1135, ag toiseacht ar lch 59, líne 26

Ní rabh fhios agam goidé b'fhearr domh a cheannacht, bhí
an oiread sin rudaí ann a ba mhaith liom agam.


maith liom agam
Séamus 'ac Grianna: Rann na Feirste

1 - 3 as 9: abairt 402, ag toiseacht ar lch 24, líne 6

Chan dith nár mhaith liom agam é acht chreathnuigh mé fá'n
ócáid,


maith liom agam
Séamus 'ac Grianna: Rann na Feirste

4 - 6 as 9: abairt 489, ag toiseacht ar lch 27, líne 23

Agus nach liom a ba mhaith a gcuid comhráidh a bheith agam
le cur síos annseo.


maith liom agam
Séamus 'ac Grianna: Saoghal Corrach

7 - 9 as 34: abairt 1313, ag toiseacht ar lch 66, líne 28

Ba mhaith liom-sa sgoil mhór a bheith agam.


maith liom agam
Séamus 'ac Grianna: Saoghal Corrach

29 - 31 as 34: abairt 5589, ag toiseacht ar lch 270, líne 23

Sin a' fáth ar mhaith liom fear a bheith agam mar phríomh-
oide.”


maith liom agam
Séamus 'ac Grianna: Scéal Úr agus Sean-Scéal

1 - 3 as 15: abairt 2501, ag toiseacht ar lch 109, líne 30

“Ba mhaith liom teach beag seascair cloiche a bheith
agam,” arsa Cuidín.

Maith an tseift agat, a Aonghuis. Táimse tar éis mo stór amhrán a chuartú:

Óra a Shadhbh, a Shadhbh Ní Bhruinnealla,
A chuisle 's a stóirín, ba rí-mhaith dhuit mise agat!

Míl' uair dob'fhearr liom agam thú
ná ba na Mumhan is bainne acu

A Dhónaill óig, b'fhearr dhuit mise agat
ná bean uasal uaibhreach iomarcach.
Chrúfainn bó agus dhéanfainn cuigeann duit,
is dá mba chrua é, do bhuailfinn buille leat.

Nach tú atá díograiseach cumasach,a Abigail, agus stór amhrán Gaeilge a bheith ar ríomhaire agat. Molaim thú.