Pronounce
the letter "o" in Irish as a single vowel sound,
with lips rounded but not protruded. Do not spread
the lips at the beginning of the sound or you
will get a faint (ay) sound before the "o". Do
not contract the lips at the end of the sound
or you will get an (oo) sound after the (oh).
When the "o" has a síneadh (SHEEN-uh) over
it, hold the sound for a longer time than you
would in English. If the "o" has no síneadh,
pronounce it in the same way but do not hold the
sound as long.
Compare the English word "loan" and Irish "lón"
(lohn). Watch your lips in a mirror as you say
"loan" very slowly, and you will see them contract
for a slight (oo) sound after the (oh). Then say
Irish "lón", holding the (oh) sound and
going directly to the (n).
Practice on: ól, óg, ón,
ór, bó, mór, nós,
bábóg (bah-BOHG), pósta (POHS-tuh),
gnóthach (GNOH-huhk*).
For the shorter sound, practice on: gob, obair(OH-bir),
loch (lohk*), ordóg (ohr-DOHG), coróin
(koh-ROH-in), focal (FOH-kuhl).
Sometimes an "o" next to an "i" and without a
síneadh is not sounded but merely indicates
that the consonant beside the "o" gets its broad
sound. Examples: coill (kwil), poiblí (PWIB-lee).
Other combinations of "o" with vowels have various
sounds that we will review later.
GRAMMAR
The irregular verbs are not entirely irregular
in the saorbhriathra (say*r-VREE-uh-ruh), free
form, in the future. These are they:
tiocfar (TYUHK-fuhr), people will come
rachfar (RAHK*-fuhr), people will go
cloisfear (KLISH-fuhr), people will hear, it will
be heard
feicfear (FEK-fuhr), it will be seen
déanfar (DAY*N-fuhr), it will be done
tabharfar (TOOR-fuhr), it will be given
béarfar air (BAY*R-fuhr er), it will be
seized
gheofar (YOH-fuhr), it will be gotten, found
déarfar (DAY*R-fuhr), it will be said
íosfar
(EES-fuhr), it will be eaten
The negative form:
ní thiocfar ( nee HUHK-fuhr), people won't
come
ní rachfar, people won't go
ní chloisfear (K*LISH-fuhr), people won't
hear, it won't be heard
ní fheicfear (EK-fuhr), it won't be seen
ní dhéanfar (YAY*N-fuhr), it won't
be done
ní thabharfar (HOOR-fuhr), it won't be
given
ní bhéarfar air (VAY*R-fuhr), it
won't be seized
ní bhfaighfear (VWEYE-fuhr), it won't be
said
ní íosfar, it won't be eaten
In the question, "an" and "nach" eclipse the first
consonant of the free form. With "an", the forms
are:
an dtiocfar? (un DUHK-fuhr), will people come?
an rachfar? will people go?
an gcloisfear? (GLISH-fuhr), will it be heard?
an bhfeicfear? (VEK-fuhr), will it be seen?
an ndéanfar? (NAY*N-fuhr) will it be done?
an dtabharfar? (DOOR-fuhr), will it be given?
an mbéarfar air? (MAY*R-fuhr), will it
be seized?
an bhfaighfear? (VWEYE-fuhr), will it be gotten,
found?
an ndéarfar? (NYAY*R-fuhr), will it be
said?
an íosfar?, will it be eaten?
DRILL
With
these three word groups:
tiocfar; abhaile (uh VWAHL-e); go hÉirinn
(goh HAY*R-in), go through this drill:
Nach dtiocfar abhaile? Ní thiocfar abhaile.
An dtiocfar go hÉirinn? Tiocfar go hÉirinn.
Go through the same pattern of drill for:
Rachfar; go dtí an chathair (goh DEE un
K*AH-hir), to the city; chuig na sléibhte
(hig nuh SHLAY*-te), to the mountains.
Cloisfear; an t-amhránaí (un tou-RAW*N-ee),
the singer; an banna ceoil (un BAHN-uh KYOH-il),
the band.
Feicfear; an scannán (skah-NAW*N), movie;
an dráma (DRAW*-muh), play.
Déanfar; an obair seo; an obair sin.
Tabharfar; dom é; do Sheán é.
Béarfar; ar an ngadaí (er ung AH-dee),
the thief; ar an bhfear eile (er un VAR EL-e),
the other man.
Gheofar; an ceann sin (un kyoun shin), that one;
an dara (DUH-ruh) ceann, the second one.
Déarfar; leis an gcailín é;
liom é.
Íosfar;
an mhairteoil (vwahrt-YOH-il), beef; an mhuiceoil
(vwik-YOH-il), pork.
CONVERSATION
Ciarán
(keer-AW*N): Téanam (TYAY*N-uhm) isteach
anois, a Cháit (K*AW*-it). Tá sé
ag éirí níos fuaire (eg EYE-ree
nees FOO-i-re). Kieran: Let's go in now, Kate.
It's becoming colder.
Cáit:
Is fuaire atá sé anois ná
a bhí sé inné. Kate: It's
colder now than it was yesterday.
Ciarán:
Feictear dom go bhfeicfimid sneachta go luath
(goh VEK-hi-mid SHNAHK*-tuh goh LOO-uh). Kieran:
It appears to me that we will see snow soon.
Cáit:
Nach rachfar chuig ná sléibhte
ansin? Kate: Won't people go to the mountains
then?
Ciarán:
Rachfar, le sciáil (le SHKEE-aw*-il). Kieran:
They will, to ski.
(c)
1999 The Irish People. May be reprinted with credit.
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