PRONUNCIATION
Two letter groups, "adh" and "agh", are usually pronounced (eye) when in accented syllables inside a word. Here are examples for "adh":
adharc (EYE-uhrk), horn
radharc (REYE-uhrk), sight
Tadhg (teyeg), Tadhg, a man's name
gadhar (GEYE-uhr), hound
fadhb (feyeb), problem
Some examples for "agh":
aghaidh (EYE-ee), face
laghad (LEYE-uhd), least
slaghdán (SLEYE-daw*n), a cold, hay fever
Ó Raghallaigh (oh REYE-lee), O'Reilly
If the letter group "adh" is at a word end or in an unaccented syllable, it does not take the (eye) sound. For example:
samhradh (SOU-ruh), summer
ionadh (OON-uh), wonder.
Many verbal nouns are similar:
dúnadh (DOON-uh), closing
briseadh (BRISH-uh), breaking
glanadh (GLUHN-uh), cleaning.
VOCABULARY
Masculine Nouns
néal, na néalta (nay*l, nuh NAY*L-tuh), cloud, the clouds
biseach (BI-shahk*), recovery
slaghdán (SLEYE-daw*n) a cold
Feminine Nouns
feoil, an fheoil (FYOH-il, un OH-il), meat, the meat
beoir, an bheoir (BYOH-ir, un VYOH-ir), beer, the beer
bain, ag baineadh (bwin, uh BWIN-uh), cut, reap; also part of expressions such as "bain diot an cóta" (bwin DEE-uht un KOH-tuh), take off your coat.
ith, ag ithe (i, eg I-he), eat
ag ithe an aráin (un uh-RAW*-in), eating the bread
ag ithe an bhricfeasta (vrik-FAS-tuh), eating the breakfast
ag ithe mo lóin (muh LOH-in), eating my lunch
ag ithe feola (FYOH-luh), eating meat
ag ithe prátaí (PRAW*-tee), eating potatoes
á ithe (aw* I-he), eating it
á ithe sin, eating that
á ithe seo, eating this
Tá biseach orm (OH-ruhm), I am recovering
cnag, ag cnagadh (kuh-NAHG, uh kuh-NAHG-uh), knock; as in "ag cnagadh ar an doras", knocking at the door
ól, ag ól (ohl, eg OHL), drink
ag ól bainne (BAHN-ye), drinking milk
ag ól tae (tay*), drinking tea
ag ól uisce (ISH-ke), drinking water
ag ól caife (KAHF-e), drinking coffee
ag ól mo chaife (muh K*AHF-e), drinking my coffee
ag ól beorach (BYOH-ruhk*), drinking beer
á ól (aw* ohl), drinking it
á ól sin, drinking that
á ól seo, drinking this
féach, ag féachaint ar (FAY*-ahk, uh FAY*-uhk*-int er) looking at
Tá slaghdán ort (OH-ruht), you have a cold
NOTES ON VOCABULARY
This vocabulary gives you many phrases combining "ag ithe" and "ag ól" with nouns. The drills for the next few weeks will stress these to familiarize you with ways of phrase formation.
The forms "ag ithe", "ag cur", etc., are often followed by nouns in the genitive case, becoming in English : "of the _____". "Ag ithe feola" is literally "at eating of meat". The genitive case of Irish nouns is formed in several ways. You will gradually learn to recognize these, so that you can form the case for new words.
Some nouns don't change at all for the genitive, such as "bainne". Others may change a final broad consonant to a slender, such as "lón, an lóin", or "arán, an aráin". A few nouns add a syllable, such as "beoir, na beorach" or "feoil, na feola".
In Irish, you don't "have" illnesses. Instead, they are "on" you. "Tá slaghdán ar Shéamas" means "James has a cold". Recovery,happiness, sorrow, anger and the like are also "on" you.
CONVERSATION
Nioclás (NEE-klaw*s): Éist (ay*sht)! Tá duine éigin ag cnagadh ar an doras (taw* DIN-e AY*-gin uh kuh-NAHG-uh er un DUH-ruhs).
Listen! Someone is knocking on the door.
Córa (KOH-ruh): Cé hé sin (kay* hay* shin) ag an doras?
Who's that at the door?
Seán: Seán anseo. Oscail an doras agus lig isteach sa teach mé. Tá sé ag cur báistí amuigh anseo (uh KUR BAW*SH-tee uh MWEE un-SHUH).
It's John here. Open the door and let me in the house. It's raining out here.
Nioclás: O, tá tú anseo faoi dheireadh (fwee YER-uh). Fan nóiméad, más é do thoil é (fahn NOH-may*d, MAW* shay* duh HIL ay*). -- Isteach leat, a Sheáin (ish-TYAHK* lat, uh HYAW*-in).
Oh, you are here at last. Wait a minute please. -- In with you, John.
Seán: Dia daoibh, a Niocláis agus a Chóra (DEE-uh yeev, uh NEE-klaw*sh AH-guhs uh K*OH-ruh).
Hello, Nicholas and Cora.
Córa: Dia's Muire duit, a Sheáin. Conas tá tú ar chor ar bith? (HUHR er bi)
Hello, John. How are you, anyway?
Seán: Tá me go maith, agus conas tá sibh (shiv) féin?
I am well and how are you yourselves?
Nioclás: Táimid go maith leis, ach tá slaghdán ar Chóra.
We are well, too, but Cora has a cold.
Córa: Tá biseach orm anois (uh-NISH), áfach (AW*-fuhk*).
I am recovering now, however.
Nioclás: Bain diot an cóta, a Sheáin. Ina dhiaidh sin (in-uh YEE-uh shin), tar amach i seomra an bhidh (tahr uh-MAHK* i SHOHM-ruh un VEE), agus bíodh (BEE-ohk*) cupán tae agat (uh-GUHT).
Take off your coat, John. After that, come out into the dining room and have a cup of tea.
Córa: Oíche dhorcha is ea í (EE-hye GUHR-uh-huh sha ee). Féach ar na néalta dubha (nuh NAY*L-tuh DOOV-uh).
A dark night it is. Look at the black clouds.
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