Pronounce the letter "t": near "a", "o", or "u", with its broad sound. For this, place the tongue so that it lies along or close to the hard part of the roof of the mouth behind the upper front teeth, with the tongue tip touching the back of the upper front teeth. Make sure that the tongue is relaxed and spread out, not contracted and pointed. Pronounce the "t", practicing on:

tál (taw*l), tóg, tú, tobar (TOH-buhr), tachtadh (TAHK*-tuh), talamh (TAH-luhv), táille (TAW*-il-ye), tlú (tloo), tnúth (tnoo), traein (tray*n), troid (trid).

Pronounce a broad "t" inside or at the end of a word in the same way: giota (GI-tuh), eachtra (AHK*-truh), leat (lat), bocht (bohk*t).

Pronounce a "t" near an "e" or "i" with the tongue tip against the hard ridge behind the upper front teeth. Let the tip slide forward and down as you pronounce the sound, which will have a faint (y) sound at the end of it. Examples of this slender sound: te, tirim (TIR-im), tír (teer), teip (tep), teach (tahk*), téamh (tay*v), tiús (tyoos), trí (tree), triúr (troor).

Inside or at the end of a word, slender "t" has the same sound: litir, feictear (FEK-tyuhr), geit (get), áit (aw*t).

Sometimes the slender "t" may resemble the English (ch) sound, but do not consciously imitate the (ch) sound. To see this, pronounce "áit" as (aw*) and (t), with a faint (i) sound in between. Then pronounce it (oy) and (ch), and you will hear the difference.

For the irregular verbs, the saorbhriathar (say*r-VREE-huhr) or free form is regular in appearance for the present tense. Learn these:

tagtar (TAHG-tuhr), people come

téitear (TAY*-tyuhr) people go

cloistear (KLISH-tyuhr), people hear

feictear (FEK-tyuhr), people see, it seems

déantar (DAY*N-tuhr), people make or do

tugtar (TUG-tuhr), people give

beirtear air (BER-tyuhr er), it is seized

faightear (FEYE-tyuhr), people get

deirtear (DER-tyuhr), people say

itear (I-tyuhr), people eat

In the negative, "ní" (nee) aspirates all these except "deirtear", which becomes "ní deirtear".

In the questions, both "an" and "nach" eclipse all these, as in "nach bhfaightear anseo iad?" (nahk* VWEYE-tyuhr un-SHUH EE-uhd), aren't they gotten here?, don't people get them here?

Drill

Go through progressive drills with the forms above, with four sentences in each drill, according to this pattern:

Cuir; hataí sa seomra suite (SI-tye); hataí sa chistin.

An gcuirtear hataí sa seomra suite? Ní chuirtear hataí sa seomra suite. Nach gcuirtear hataí sa seomra suite? Cuirtear hataí sa chistin.

Tar; ó Chorcaigh (K*OHR-kee); ó Bhaile Átha Cliath (vlaw*-KLEE-uh).

Téigh; go Gaillimh; go Sligeach (SHLIG-ahk*).

Clois; an traein; an t-eitleán (un TET-i-law*n), the airplane.

Feic; an clár sin; that program; an cluiche (KLI-hye), the game.

Déan; anseo iad; i Siceágó iad (i shi-KAW*-goh EE-uhd), in Chicago.

Tabhair (TOO-ir); an t-airgead dó (un TAR-i-guhd doh), the money to him; an t-airgead do Mháire.

Beir; ar an ngadaí (er ung AH-dee), the thief; ar na fír eile.

Faigh; an t-adhmad (TEYE-muhd), wood; an phéint (fay*nt), paint.

Abair; go bhfuil; nach bhfuil.

Ith; an fheoil (OH-il), meat; na prátaí (PRAW*-tee), potatoes.

(The results of the change in the television aerial prove excellent.)

Pól (pohl): Tá gach rud réidh anois (ray* uh-NISH). Lasc ann an gléas (lahsk oun un GLAY*-uhs). Everything is ready now. Turn the set on.

Bláthnaid (BLAW*-nid): Tá mé bródúil asat (broh-DOO-il A-suht). Sin í an obair is fearr (fahr) -- a rinne (RIN-ye) tú le tamall fada anuas (uh-NOO-uhs). I am proud of you. That's the best work that you have done for a long time.

Pól: Suigh síos os comhair an teilifíseán (TEL-i-fee-shaw*-in). Nach compordach (kuhm-POHR-dahk*) an chathaoir (K*AH-heer) í sin? Sit down before the television set. Isn't that chair a comfortable one?

Bláthnaid: Is compordach, gan amhras (OU-ruhs). Agus tá mé ar mo sháimhín só (HAW*-veen soh), freisin. It is, without a doubt. And I feel comfortable too.

Pól: Tá feabhas (fous) mór ar an íomhá (EE-vwaw*). Táimid ag fáil (FAW*-il) pictiúr cuíosach mhaith (KWEE-sahk* vwah).

There's a big improvement in the image. We are getting a fairly good picture.

Bláthnaid: Tá an fhuaim (oo-IM) níos fearr anois ná a bhí sí riamh. Ceartaigh na dathanna (KYART-ee nuh DAH-huh-nuh), mas é do thoil é (MAW* shay* duh HIL ay*). Nach bhfuil an dath dearg róthréan? (dah DYAR-ruhg roh-HYRAY*N). The sound is better now than it ever was. Adjust the colors, please. Isn't the red color too intense?

Pól: Déanfar i gcúpla nóiméad é sin. Tá orm mo bhia a fháil (VEE-uh uh AW*-il). That will be done in a couple of minutes. I have to get my food.

Note: A chair is "compordach" to sit in, but for a person, "Tá sé ar a sháimhín só", or "Tá sé sómasach" (SOH-muhs-ahk*), he is comfortable.

(c) 1998 The Irish People. May be reprinted with credit.