The Irish People is the only newspaper of its kind published in the United States. The Irish People is published 50 weeks a year since 1971. A sixteen page political weekly, The Irish People gives up-to date, uncensored information pertaining to the war in northeast Ireland. It also keeps its readers abreast of events here in the United States aimed at combating the injustices carried out by the British forces of occupation.
 

 

 

Irish Language Lessons

Irish Lesson 110

Comprehension for an modh coinníollach

If you are studying with someone who knows the pronunciation guide for these lessons, take turns with that person in reading the following aloud to each other as practice in understanding the conditional mood in spoken Irish. If you study alone, read the sentences aloud and picture the meaning and subject of each clause.

- (daw* ME-faw* un-shuh, DEK-faw* ay*.)

- (K*LISH-hin EE-uhd, daw* ME-deesh uh VWAHL-e.)

- (nee K*ROHK-hin muh K*OH-tuh suh SHOHM-ruh shin, MU-ruh men lesh-KYOO-il.)

- (nahk* nim-YOHK* shay*, daw* me-YUHK* un tray*n in oum.)

- (DIL-hi-mish er uh shay* uh K*LOHG, daw* me-YUHK* un EYEM-sheer nees fahr.)

- (un EES-hi-deesh nuh KYAP-uh-ree, daw* GIR-hi-mish er un mohrd mohr suh HYISH-tin EE-uhd.)

- (DOO-irt shay* nahk* GLISH-huhk* shay* ay* MU-ruh GNAHK-huhk* shay* er un DUH-ruhs.)

- (day*n-TOHK* shee lat, daw* me-YUHK* shee i LAW*-hir.)

- (nee ve-YUHK* AH-gluh OHR-ruhm, MU-ruh men er un traw*d GUHR-uh-huh.)

 

Key:

If you were here, you would see him.

I would hear them, if they were home.

I wouldn't hang my coat in that room, if I weren't lazy.

Wouldn't he depart if the train were on time?

We would return at six o'clock, if the weather were better.

Would they eat the sandwiches, if we were to put them on the big table in the kitchen?

He said that he wouldn't hear him, if he weren't to knock on the door.

She would agree with you, if she were here. ( The verb is "aontaigh")

I wouldn't be afraid, if I weren't on the dark street.

 

"Is" in sentences with "if"

Special forms, some of which you already know, allow you to say:

"If you wish", or "if he wouldn't prefer". For "má" and "mura" with "is" in the present, learn these examples:

 

Más mian leat (maw*s MEE-uhn lat), if you wish.

Más arán é (maw*s uh-RAW*N ay*), if it is bread.

Mura (MU-ruh) mian leat, if you don't wish.

 

Más é do thoil é (maw* shay* duh HIL ay*), if you please.

Más í (maw* shee) Nóra í, if it is Nora.

Mura maith leo an siopa, if they don't like the store.

Murab é Ciarán é (MU-ruhb ay* keer-AW*N ay*), if it isn't Ciaran.

Murab arán maith é (MU-ruhb uh-RAW*N mah ay*), if it isn't good bread.

 

For "má" and "mura" with "is" in the past tense, learn these examples:

 

Má ba mhian leat (maw* buh VEE-uhn lat), if you wished.

Má b'arán é (maw* buh-RAW*N ay*), if it was bread.

Murar mhaith leat, if you didn't like it.

 

Má ba é (maw* bay*) Pádraig é, if it was Pádraig.

Má ba í (bee) Nóra í, if it was Nóra.

Murarbh (MUR-erv) é Seán é, if it wasn't Seán.

Murarbh fhéidir (MUR-erv AY*-dir) leat, if you couldn't.

 

Comhrá (KOH-raw*)

Síle (SHEEL-uh): Nach bhfuil duine éigin ag cnagadh ar an doras??

Brian (BREE-uhn): D'osclóinn an doras, dá gcloisfinn (GLISH-hin) é. Lig isteach é, más féidir leat.

Síle: An osclófá an doras, a Bhríain? Tá tú i bhfad níos giorra don doras ná mise.

Brian: Déanfaidh mé sin. - A Nóirín agus á Sheoirse (HYOHR-she)! Dia dhaoibh. Tagaigí isteach.

Nóirín: Dia's Muire dhaoibh, a Shíle (HEEL-uh) agus a Bhriain. Bhíomar sa chomharsanacht (K*OH-uhr-suhn-uhk*t) chun féachaint ar cheap árasán nua.

Síle: An aistreodh (ASH-trohk*) sibh, dá mbeadh seans agaibh?

Seoirse: Ní maith linn an foirgneamh ina bhfuilimid anois.

Brian: Cé mhéid sheomra ar maith libh?

Nóirín: Ceithre sheomra atá ag teastáil uainn, ar a laghad,

Brian: Nach gceannódh sibh teach, dá mbeadh an ceann ceart ar fáil?

(nahk* gyan-OHK* shiv tyahk*, daw* me-YUHK* un kyoun kyart er FAW*-il).

Seoirse: Más féidir linn teach a cheannach, déanfaimid é. Ach bheadh eagla orm, dá mbeadh orainn teach mór a ghlanadh agus a phéinteáil.

Nóirín: Bheadh árasán le cistin, agus dhá sheomra leapa ag teastail uainn, dá bhfaighimis é.

Brian: An maith libh seomra bia?

Síle: Is fearr (fahr) liom an seomra folctha bheith athchóirithe (ah-K*OHR-i-he) ná seomraí mar parlús nó seomra bia bheith ann.

Seoirse: Thitfeadh an tsíleáil inár seomra folctha, mura mbeadh cláir curtha fuithi agam anuraidh.

 

Key:

Síle:Isn't there someone knocking at the door?

Brian: I would open the door, if I heard it. Let him in, if you can.

Síle: Would you open the door, Brian? You are far closer to the door than I am.

Brian: I'll do that. - Nóirín and Seoirse! Hello. Come in.

Nóirín: Hello, Síle and Brian. We were in the neighborhood to look at a new apartment building.

Síle: Would you move if you had the chance? (Aistrigh! means "move" as well as "translate". Aistrim, aistríonn tú, d'aistrigh mé, ag aistriú, are elements of this verb).

Seoirse: We don't like the building we are in now.

Brian: How many rooms would you like?

Nóirín: Four rooms we are wanting, at least.

Brian: Wouldn't you buy a house, if the right one were available?

Seoirse: If we can buy a house, we will do it. But I would be afraid if we had to clean and paint a big house.

Nóirín: We would be wanting an apartment with a kitchen and two bedrooms if we got it.

Brian: Do you like a dining room?

Síle: I prefer that the bathroom be renovated rather than have rooms like a parlor or dining room.

Seoirse: The ceiling would fall in our bathroom if I hadn't put boards under it last year.

 



Irish Lesson 111

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