Role-play
Eoin:
Tá dath na gréine ort, a Mháiréad.
You have a colour from the sun, Máiréad.
Caithfidh go raibh tú thar lear?!
You must have been abroad?
Máiréad:
Bhí, a Eoin.
Yes, Eoin.
Táim féin agus Páidí díreach tar éis coicís a chaitheamh sa Ghréig.
Myself and Páidí are just after spending a fortnight in Greece.
Eoin:
Go haoibhinn!
Delightful!
Máiréad:
Níl aon ní níos deise ná saoire ghréine i ndúluachair na bliana!
There is nothing nicer than a sun holiday in the depth of winter!
Eoin:
Nach fíor é!
Isn’t it true!
Cad a rinne sibh thall ansin?
What did ye do over there?
Máiréad:
Chaitheamar an chéad chúpla lá ar sciuird chathrach san Aithin.
We spent the first few days on a city break in Athens.
Thugamar cuairt ar roinnt de na láithreacha ársa.
We visited some of the ancient sites.
Bhaineamar an-sult as an bPartanón agus as an bhFóram Rómhanach.
We really enjoyed the Partenon and the Roman Forum.
Eoin:
Ba lánúin léannta riamh sibh!
You were always a scholarly couple!
Máiréad:
Fan anois go gcloisfidh tú!
Wait now til you hear!
Chaitheamar an chuid eile den tsaoire i mbun cúrsa Sean-Ghréigise ar oileán Santorini.
We spent the rest of the holiday doing a course in Ancient Greek on the island of Santorini.
Bhí sé an-spéisiúil.
It was very interesting.
Ar maidin amháin a bhí ranganna ar siúl, agus mar sin bhí neart ama againn chun a bheith ag sú na gréine ina ndiaidh.
Classes were only on in the morning, and so we had plenty of time to be sunbathing after them.
Eoin:
Thuig mise go raibh an tSean-Ghréigis marbh, a Mháiréad.
I understood that the Ancient Greek language was dead, Máiréad.
An bhfuil dul amú orm?
Am I mistaken?
Máiréad:
Ní labhraítear a thuilleadh í, ach is rud fíorthaitneamhach é miotaseolaíocht na Gréige a léamh sa teanga a labhraítí fadó fadó nuair a bhí Homer féin beo.
It is no longer spoken, but it is a truly enjoyable thing to read Greek mythology in the language that was spoken long, long ago when Homer himself was alive.
Eoin:
Ní bheadh a fhios agat, b’fhéidir go mbeidh mé féin ag triall ar Santorini lá éigin le cúrsa a dhéanamh!
You wouldn’t know, maybe I’ll be heading over to Santorini myself some day to do a course!
Máiréad:
Ha! Nó an ag déanamh bolg le gréin amháin a bheifeá?!
Ha! Or would you just be sunbathing?!
Role-play with phonetics
Eoin:
Tá dath na gréine ort, a Mháiréad. /Thaw dah nuh gray-neh urth. A Vaw-ray-id/
You have a colour from the sun, Máiréad.
Caithfidh go raibh tú thar lear?!
/Kho-hig guh rev thoo har lyar?/
You must have been abroad?
Máiréad:
Bhí, a Eoin.
/Vee a oh-in/
Yes, Eoin.
Táim féin agus Páidí díreach tar éis coicís a chaitheamh sa Ghréig.
/Thaw-im fayn ah-guss Paw-id-ee dee-rukh thar aye-ish ky-keess a kho-hiv suh Grray-ig/
Myself and Páidí are just after spending a fortnight in Greece.
Eoin:
Go haoibhinn!
/Guh hee-vin!/
Delightful!
Máiréad:
Níl aon ní níos deise ná saoire ghréine i ndúluachair na bliana!
/Neel ayn nee nee-us deh-ish-eh naw see-uh grray-in-eh I noo-loo-ukh-irr nuh blee-an-uh/
There is nothing nicer than a sun holiday in the depth of winter!
Eoin:
Nach fíor é!
/Nokh fee-ur aye/
Isn’t it true!
Cad a rinne sibh thall ansin?
/Khod a rinne shiv howl un-shin?/
What did ye do over there?
Máiréad:
Chaitheamar an chéad chúpla lá ar sciuird chathrach san Aithin.
/Kha-ham-ur un khee-ud khoo-pluh law air shkew-ird kho-rukh sun A-hin/
We spent the first few days on a city break in Athens.
Thugamar cuairt ar roinnt de na láithreacha ársa.
/Hug-a-mur koo-irt air rynt deh nuh law-hir-ukh-uh or-suh/
We visited some of the ancient sites.
Bhaineamar an-sult as an bPartanón agus as an bhFóram Rómhanach.
/Vwin-ah-mur on-sulth os un bar-thah-nown ah-guss os un vorr-um Roh-wawn-ukh/
We really enjoyed the Partenon and the Roman Forum.
Eoin:
Ba lánúin léannta riamh sibh!
/Buh law-noo-in lay-un-thuh ree-uv shiv!/
You were always a scholarly couple!
Máiréad:
Fan anois go gcloisfidh tú!
/Fon ah-nish guh glush-igg thoo/
Wait now til you hear!
Chaitheamar an chuid eile den tsaoire i mbun cúrsa Sean-Ghréigise ar oileán Santorini.
/Kho-ham-ur un kwid eh-il-leh den thee-rreh ih mun khoo-ur-suh Shan-Gray-ig-ih-sheh air ill-awn Santorini/
We spent the rest of the holiday doing a course in Ancient Greek on the island of Santorini.
Bhí sé an-spéisiúil.
/Vee shay -on-spay-ish-oo-il/
It was very interesting.
Ar maidin amháin a bhí ranganna ar siúl, agus mar sin bhí neart ama againn chun a bheith ag sú na gréine ina ndiaidh.
/Air moh-id-in ah-vaw-in a vee rowng-un-ah air shoo-il, a-guss vee nyart oma ah-gwinn khun a veh egg soo nuh gray-in-eh ina nee-ig/
Classes were only on in the morning, and so we had plenty of time to be sunbathing after them.
Eoin:
Thuig mise go raibh an tSean-Ghréigis marbh, a Mháiréad.
/Higg mish-eh guh rev un Tan-Grray-gish morr-uv, a Vaw-ray-id/
I understood that the Ancient Greek language was dead, Máiréad.
An bhfuil dul amú orm?
/Un will dul ah-moo ur-um?/
Am I mistaken?
Máiréad:
Ní labhraítear a thuilleadh í, ach is rud fíorthaitneamhach é miotaseolaíocht na Gréige a léamh sa teanga a labhraítí fadó fadó nuair a bhí Homer féin beo.
/Nee louw-ree-thur a hill-eh ee, okh iss rud fee-ur-ha-nev-ukh aye myut-as-o-lee-ukhth nug Grray-ig-eh a lay-uv suh tang-guh a louw-ree-tee fah-dho fah-dho noo-ir a vee Homer fayn byo/
It is no longer spoken, but it is a truly enjoyable thing to read Greek mythology in the language that was spoken long, long ago when Homer himself was alive.
Eoin:
Ní bheadh a fhios agat, b’fhéidir go mbeidh mé féin ag triall ar Santorini lá éigin le cúrsa a dhéanamh!
/Nee vekh a iss a-guth, baydir guh megg may fayn ehh trree-ul air Santorini law ay-ginn leh koo-ur-suh a yeen-uv!/
You wouldn’t know, maybe I’ll be heading over to Santorini myself some day to do a course!
Máiréad:
Ha! Nó an ag déanamh bolg le gréin amháin a bheifeá?! /Ha! No un ag dee-un-uv bull-ug leh grrayn ah-vaw-in a veh-faw?!/
Ha! Or would you just be sunbathing?!
Grammar notes
Eoin:
Tá dath na gréine ort, a Mháiréad.
You have a colour from the sun, Máiréad.
dath na gréine – an ghrian (the sun)is in the genitive
tagann dath na gréine air – he has a tanned complexion (‘the colour of the sun comes on him’)
griandaite – tanned
dó gréine – sun-burn
Caithfidh go raibh tú thar lear?!
You must have been abroad?
Caithfidh – modal verb expressing certainty or likelihood
Caithfidh go bhfuil tuirse ort – you must be tired
thar lear – over sea(s)
lear = sea, ocean (but is not used other than in this context)
lear – another form of this word means ‘great number or amount’
lear mór daoine – a great many people
Máiréad:
Bhí, a Eoin.
Yes, Eoin.
Bhí – the verb ‘bí’ (to be) past tense.
Táim féin agus Páidí díreach tar éis coicís a chaitheamh sa Ghréig.
Myself and Páidí are just after spending a fortnight in Greece.
sa Ghréig – séimhiú on nouns beginning with b, c, f g, m and p following ‘sa’.
When the definite article (an) forms part of the country’s name we use sa (consonant) or san (vowels) to say ‘in’ that country :
An Ghréig (Greece) > sa Ghréig (in Greece)
An Iodáil (Italy)> san Iodáil (in Italy)
Feminine nouns starting with s take prefix t after sa
sa seomra (masc.) but sa tsráid (fem.)
Eoin:
Go haoibhinn!
Delightful!
Go haoibhinn – prefix h on adjectives beginning with a vowel following the particle go.
Máiréad:
Níl aon ní níos deise ná saoire ghréine i ndúluachair na bliana!
There is nothing nicer than a sun holiday in the depth of winter!
ní – thing
nithe – things
deas – nice
níos deise – nicer
is deise – nicestná – than (used when making comparisons)
nó – or
Eoin:
Nach fíor é!
Isn’t it true!
Nach fíor é! – negatively framed rhetorical question
An fíor é? – Is it true?
Ní fíor é – it is not true
Is fíor é – It is true.
Cad a rinne sibh thall ansin?
What did ye do over there?
Cad a rinne sibh?– past tense of the irregular verb déan.
In Munster this would be said: ‘cad a dheineabhar?’
Lesson: The Past Tense
Test yourself on verbs in the past tense
Máiréad:
Chaitheamar an chéad chúpla lá ar sciuird chathrach san Aithin.
We spent the first few days on a city break in Athens.
an chéad chúpla – where céad means ‘first’ it causes séimhiú.. Where it means ‘hundred’ it does not: céad punt – a hundred pounds.
sciuird chathrach – city break
sciuird – flying visit
cathair (city) > cathrach (genitive) > chathrach (séimhiú applied because sciuird is a feminine noun).
Thugamar cuairt ar roinnt de na láithreacha ársa.
We visited some of the ancient sites.
láthair – site > láithreacha – sites
Bhaineamar an-sult as an bPartanón agus as an bhFóram Rómhanach.
We really enjoyed the Partenon and the Roman Forum.
bhaineamar – past tense first-person plural of verb bain (to reap, pick, extract from)
as an bhFóram Rómhanach – urú, the dative case
Lesson: The Dative Case
Eoin:
Ba lánúin léannta riamh sibh!
You were always a scholarly couple!
ba – past tense affirmative form of the copula is
Máiréad:
Fan anois go gcloisfidh tú!
Wait now til you hear!
go gcloisfidh tú!
conjunction go meaning ‘until’.
Causes urú.
Fan go bhfeicfidh tú – wait til you see.
Chaitheamar an chuid eile den tsaoire i mbun cúrsa Sean-Ghréigise ar oileán Santorini.
We spent the rest of the holiday doing a course in Ancient Greek on the island of Santorini.
an chuid eile – the other part (i.e. ‘the rest’)
an chuid is mó – the greater part
an chuid is lú – the least part
cúrsa Sean-Ghréigise – Sean-Ghréigis is in the genitive case.
Bhí sé an-spéisiúil.
It was very interesting.
Ar maidin amháin a bhí ranganna ar siúl, agus mar sin bhí neart ama againn chun a bheith ag sú na gréine ina ndiaidh.
Classes were only on in the morning, and so we had plenty of time to be sunbathing after them.
Ar maidin amháin – in the morning only
Ar maidin – in the morning
Maidin amháin – one morning
ag sú na gréine – ‘absorbing the sun’ (sunbathing)
sú – verbal noun of súigh (‘to absorb, suck’)
ina ndiaidh – after them
ina diaidh – after her/it (fem.)
ina dhiaidh – after him/it (masc.)
Eoin:
Thuig mise go raibh an tSean-Ghréigis marbh, a Mháiréad.
I understood that the Ancient Greek language was dead, Máiréad.
an tSean-Ghréigis – prefix t after definite article an (all languages in Irish are feminine nouns except for Béarla).
An bhfuil dul amú orm?
Am I mistaken?
Máiréad:
Ní labhraítear a thuilleadh í, ach is rud fíorthaitneamhach é miotaseolaíocht na Gréige a léamh sa teanga a labhraítí fadó fadó nuair a bhí Homer féin beo.
It is no longer spoken, but it is a truly enjoyable thing to read Greek mythology in the language that was spoken long, long ago when Homer himself was alive.
fíorthaitneamhach – truly enjoyable
fíor – prefix meaning ‘true, real, intense, very’.
Causes séimhiú on the word that it is added to.
a labhraítí – that was spoken. Past tense habitual, passive voice.
fadó – long ago
fadó fadó – long long ago.
Eoin:
Ní bheadh a fhios agat, b’fhéidir go mbeidh mé féin ag triall ar Santorini lá éigin le cúrsa a dhéanamh!
You wouldn’t know, maybe I’ll be heading over to Santorini myself some day to do a course!
Máiréad:
Ha! Nó an ag déanamh bolg le gréin amháin a bheifeá?!
Ha! Or would you just be sunbathing?!
bolg le gréin – idiomatic expression (you would expect ‘bolg le grian‘)
bhí siad ag déanamh bolg le gréin ina gcraiceann – they were sunbathing in their skin (i.e. in the nude).
Questions
- An raibh tú sa Ghréig riamh?(Were you ever in Greece?)
- Cad iad na teangacha atá agat? (What languages can you speak?)
- Cén tsaoire is deise a bhí agat riamh? (What was the best holiday that you ever had?)
- As na tíortha a raibh tú iontu, cad iad na cinn is mó a thaitin leat? (Of the countries that you have been in, what are the ones that you liked most?)
- Cén tír is lú a thaitin leat as na cinn a raibh tú iontu? (What is the country that you liked least of the countries that you have been in?)
- Ar mhaith leat bliain iomlán a chaitheamh ag taisteal ar fud na cruinne, dá mbeadh an t-am agus an t-airgead agat chuige? (Would you like to spent an entire year travelling around the world, if you had the time and the money for it?)
- An bhfuil spéis agat sa spástaisteal? (Are you interested in space travel?)
Teagascóir: Glac pictiúr den ngrúpa.