How would you say something like, "I know your busy, I just wanted to say hello."

I know that "táim tar éis teacht isteach" means I just came in. But I can figure out the "just wanted" part.

I suppose I'd say "Ní raibh uaim ach a rá 'Dia duit'." for that. Just waiting to be shown up now, though :S

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"I know your busy, I just wanted to say hello."

It is not as easy as it looks:
"ní raibh uaim ach [Dia dhuit] a rá leat"

There are so many ways of saying "busy" that one hears people in the Gaeltacht using the English word. I suspect there are two reasons: English words fit in nicely as humerous slang (I think they are Trojans) and secondly the English word might be used to refer to non-traditional work.

"Dia dhuit" is probably uncool as a greeting nowadays. The long version makes an impact on older people: "Go mbeannaí Dia dhuit, a bhean chóir!" Haló might do with younger people.

Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil tú gafa [le hobair] ach theastaigh uaim beannú isteach ort.

Níl uaim ach haló a rá leat. Tá's a'm go bhfuil tú graitheach.

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"I know your busy, I just wanted to say hello."

Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil tú gnoitheach, ní raibh mé ach ag iarraidh beannú duit.

I agree with Lughaidh.

Thanks guys, I would have never came up with that.

"Níl uaim" is not wrong, but I'm not certain it would be used in this context i. wanting to do something rather than lacking some actual thing.

No, "níl uaim ach" means "all that I want is" which is the equivalent of "I just want". There is no need to confine the meaning to "lack". We say "Céard tá uait?" regularly or worse "Céárd tá uait anois?". If that does not mean "What do you want (now)?" it is time for many of us to begin again.

Like others I cringe when I hear announcers on RTÉ say at the end of a programme: "Sin a bhfuil uainne don uair seo." I know they mean "That is all from us at this time" but I keep wondering what they WANT.

Surely they could use some other form of words and avoid abusing the word "uainn".

Sin a bhfuil againne ...
Sin deireadh an chláir againn don oíche anocht ...

or use an image "Tá an tiachóg folamh agus ár gcuid ráite ..." etc

A Thaidhgín, an rud a bhí i gceist agam ná go bhfuil amhras orm gur féidir a rá "Níl uaim ach "Conas taoi" a rá leat", seachas "Níl uaim ach cúpla nóiméad de'd am", abair.

Tharlódh go bhfuilim ag ró choigeartú, ámh.


Maidir le gnás cleas RTÉ, sin ceist eile. Ceann nach bhfuilim cinnte faoi!

Tuigim, a Aonghuis. Ach dar liom ní gá bheith ró-phráinneach. Baintear síneadh as teanga bheo gach aon uair a labhraítear í. Cé a chuirfidh stop linn?

Bhuel, nuair atá leagan sean bhunaithe ann atá níos cruinne (ní raibh mé ach ag iarraidh) b'fhearr liom cloí leis.

Ach ní lia duine ná tuairim.

(Dála an scéal ceann atá cloiste ar RnaG agam agus a thaithíonn liom ná "Beidh mé ag gliondáil anois" nó a leithéidí http://www.daltai.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/daltai/discus/show.pl?tpc=13510&post=61608 #POST61608)

quote:

"I know your busy, I just wanted to say hello."

Tá's agam go bhfuileann tú broidiúil/cúramach/gnóthach/go bhfuil do dhóthain cúraimí ort i láthair na huaire, ní rabhas ach ad iarraidh beannachadh dhuit.

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"Níl uaim" is not wrong, but I'm not certain it would be used in this context i. wanting to do something rather than lacking some actual thing.

Bhí uaim labhairt leis; I wanted to speak to him (Ó Dónaill, fé "bí")

"(Want, need) Cad tá uait?; What do you want? Níl do chomhluadar uainn, we don't need your company. Ní raibh uaidh ach sin, that was all he needed" (Ó Dónaill, fé "ó" (réamhfhocal)).

tá uaim; I lack, have not, want, require, desire (Dinneen)

"Heileó a rá leat" is mó a cloisfí anois ach b'fhearr agus ba dhúchaisí go mór "beannachadh/beannú dho dhuine"; "Bheannaigh sé dhuinn"; he greeted us, he said hello to us.

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Bhí uaim labhairt leis; I wanted to speak to him (Ó Dónaill, fé "bí")

Maith agat as sin: mar sin. d'fheileadh sé sa chás seo:

Tá's agam go bhfuil tú gnóthach; ní raibh uaim ach beannacht duit.

yes, as Carmanach said: "a d'iarraidh". Lughaidh had "ag iarraidh". Was that a slip of the pen or Ulster dialect?

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Tá's agam go bhfuil tú gnóthach; ní raibh uaim ach beannacht duit.

Beannacht duit?

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yes, as Carmanach said: "a d'iarraidh". Lughaidh had "ag iarraidh". Was that a slip of the pen or Ulster dialect?

I'm not aware of what the Ulster usage is here, I'm afraid.

Argh. "Beannú duit" a bhí i gceist agam, gan amhras.

(Bhfuil leagan Gaeilge agat ar argh dála an scéal?)

As far as I am aware: beannú is the verbal noun, except in the phrase Dia á bheannachadh!

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(Bhfuil leagan Gaeilge agat ar argh dála an scéal?)

Mo chroí 'on diabhal ("dial"), orm féin an dearúd!

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As far as I am aware: beannú is the verbal noun, except in the phrase Dia á bheannachadh!

Yes, I think you're right there actually now that I think of it.

A dhiabhail! Sin ceann maith. Ach rud beag fada, ochón. Ritheann sé liom go bhfeileadh monuar.

Lá an Luain ag druidim linn, agus luan gruama fliuch abhus.

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Sin ceann maith. Ach rud beag fada, ochón

Ní hionann teangaíocha agus brící Lego, a Aonghuis.

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Ritheann sé liom go bhfeileadh monuar

Recte: go bhfeilfeadh - modh coinníollach ("go bhfeileadh" = táscach gnáthchaite)

Monuar - b'fhéidir é, nó "mo léan".

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yes, as Carmanach said: "a d' iarraidh". Lughaidh had "ag iarraidh". Was that a slip of the pen or Ulster dialect?

"Ag iarraidh" being the standard form in this context shurely...

(Message edited by Hugo on January 11, 2011)