PRONUNCIATION
REVIEW
Pronounce the sound for an "m" which is near "a",
"o", or "u" with your lips out and rounded. Practice
on: má (maw*), if; mór (mohr), big;
múnla (MOON-luh), a mold; muc (muk), pig;
mac (mahk), son; maith (mah), good; molaim (MUHL-im),
I praise; mná (muh-NAW*), women.
Inside a word or at a word end:
cumann (KU-muhn), a society; plámás
(PLAW*-maw*s), flattery; cam (koum), crooked; ómósach
(OH-moh-sahk*), respectful; bromach (BRUH-muhk*),
colt; taom (tay*m), a fit.
When the nearest vowel in the word is "e" or "i",
pronounce the "m" with lips in close to the teeth
and spread slightly sideways, as in a faint smile.
Practice on:
mé (may*), I; mín (meen), smooth;
meirg (MER-rig), rust; minic (MIN-ik), often.
Inside a word or at a word end:
bím (beem), I be; céim (kay*m), a
step, degree: réimir (RAY-mir), a prefix;
cime (KI-me), a captive; aimsir (EYEM-sheer), season;
sméar (smay*r), berry
Grammar
The free form of saorbhriathar (say*r-VREE-huhr)
for "tá" is "táthar" (TAW*-huhr).
Here is an example to show you its use:
"Tá
sí ag rith" (uh ri) means "she is running".
"Táthar
ag rith" means "Someone is running" or "People are
running".
Another example is:
"Tá
siad ag léamh an leabhair" (uh lay*v un LOU-wir),
meaning "They are reading the book". "Táthar
ag léamh an leabhair" means "The book is
being read" or "People are reading the book".
The negative for "táthar" is "níltear"
(NEEL-tuhr), and an example of its use is "Níltear
ag siúl" (uh shool), meaning "No one is walking".
Questions can be asked by means of "an bhfuiltear"
(un VWIL-tuhr) or "nach bhfuiltear". For example,
"An bhfuiltear ag léamh an leabhair sin?"
is "Are people reading that book?"
These forms can serve in indirect speech, too.
"Deir
Seán go bhfuiltear ag siúl" is "John
says that people are walking". Sometimes the free
form is in the first part of a sentence like this.
An example is "Feictear dom go bhfuiltear ag caitheamh
tobac" (uh KAH-huhv toh-BAHK), which is "It seems
to me that people are smoking".
Vocabulary
Masculine nouns
eolas, an t-eolas (un TOH-luhs), knowledge of a
subject or place, rather than of a fact.
glas (glahs),, a lock
poll eochrach (poul OHK*-ruhk*), keyhole
poll na heochrach (poul nuh HOHK*-ruhk*), the keyhole
Feminine
nouns
eochair, an eochair (un OHK*-hir), key
aeróg, an aeróg (un ay*r-ROHG), aerial
of a radio or TV set
leaba (LA-buh), bed
sreang, an tsreang (srang, un trang), wire
caibidil, an chaibidil (un K*AH-bi-dil), chapter
Drill
Make four sentences out of each of the word groups
below. The example of what to do follows the first
group.
- Bris
(brish), break; na cupáin (nuh ku-PAW*-in),
the cups; na plátaí (nuh PLAW*-tee),
the plates.
An mbristear (MRISH-tuhr) na cupáin?
Ní bhristear (VRISH-tuhr) iad. Nach mbristear
na plátái? Bristear iad.
Are the cups broken? (Do people break the cups?)
They are not. Aren't the plates broken? (Don't
people break the plates?) They are.
- Díol
(DEE-uhl), sell; bainne anseo (BAHN-ye un-SHUH),
milk here; caife anseo (KAHF-e un-SHUH), coffee
here.
- Múin
(MOO-in), teach; an Fhraincis ann (un RANK-ish
oun), French there; an Iodáilis ann (un
i-DAW*-lish oun), Italian there.
- Ól
(ohl), drink; beoir anseo (BYOH-ir un-SHUH), beer
here; tae amháin anseo (tay* uh-WOYN un-SHUH).
- Mínigh
(MEEN-ee), explain; an ceacht go soiléir
(un kyahk*t goh suh-LAY*R), the lesson clearly;
an chaibidil sin go maith (goh MAH), that chapter
well.
- Oscail
(OH-skil), open; an chéad dhoras ar maidin
(un hyay*d GUH-ruhs er MAH-din), the first door
in the morning; an dara doras tar éis sin
(un DUH-ruh DUH-ruhs tuhr-AY*SH shin), the second
door after that.
Key
to 2. to 6. above:
- An
ndíoltar bainne anseo? Ní dhíoltar
anseo é. Nach ndíoltar caife anseo?
Díoltar anseo é.
- An
múintear an Fhraincis ann? Ní mhúintear
ann í. Nach múintear an Iodáilis
ann? Múintear ann í.
- An
óltar beoir anseo? Ní óltar
anseo í. Nach n-óltar tae amháin
anseo? Óltar anseo é.
- An
mínitear go soiléir é. Nach
mínitear an chaibidil sin go maith? Mínitear
go maith í.
- An
osclaítear (un OH-sklee-tuhr) an chéad
dhoras ar maidin? Ní osclaítear
é. Nach n-osclaítear an dara doras
tar éis sin? Osclaítear tar éis
sin é.
Notes:
Usually when you change to the free form, a
word follows the free form. The word may be the
original noun, such as "bainne" or "an Fhraincis",
or it may be a pronoun, such as "é", "í",
or "iad".
Adverbs and other words may be repeated, too, or
left out, depending on the meaning that you want
to convey and on how briefly you wish to express
yourself.
Remember that "an" and "nach" eclipse the first
consonant of the next verbal form where possible,
and that "nach" causes an "n" to precede a vowel
starting the next word, as in "nach n-óltar".
(c)
1998 The Irish People. May be reprinted with credit.
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