Mastering Irish: Building Sentences, Questions, and Expanding Vocabulary

When we first start learning a new language, many of us memorize words, phrases, and even entire sentences. But to truly express ourselves, we need to learn how to build our own sentences and questions. We’ve talked before about the fact that Irish doesn’t have a single word for “yes” or “no.” Instead, we respond with the appropriate form of the verb from the question.

Before anyone panics, consider this: “Would you like something to drink?” “I would.” “Are you cold?” “I am.” In Irish, we ask, Ar mhaith leat rud éigin a ól? (ar wah lyat rud ay-ginn ah ol) and respond with Ba mhaith (ba wah) for yes or Níor mhaith (neer wah) for no. Similarly, An bhfuil tú fuar? (ahn will too foo-ar) is asked to mean “Are you cold?” We would answer Tá (taw) for yes or Níl (neel) for no. This structure quickly becomes second nature and is far less daunting than it initially sounds.

Irish sentences follow a verb-first word order, followed by a noun or pronoun and then an adjective. So, in the sentence “I am good!” we start with the verb Tá (taw) in the present tense, which means “is/am/are” in a declarative sentence. Next is the pronoun mé (may) for “I,” and finally, the adjective go maith (guh mah) for “good.” All together, the sentence is Tá mé go maith.

For this month’s exercise, we’ll practice using the verb Tá in both present and past tenses. We’ll group pronouns, nouns, and adjectives, then combine them to create sentences. I’ll provide some examples, and you can try your hand at building sentences using a verb, pronoun, and adjective of your choice.

The Verb Tá

Present tense
Tá
Declarative sentence: Tá (taw) = is / am / are
Question form: An bhfuil? (ahn will) = is / am / are?
Negative declarative: Níl (neel) = is not / am not / are not
Negative question: Nach bhfuil? (noch will) = isn’t / am not / aren’t?

To answer questions in the present tense, we use tá or níl.

Past tense of Tá:
Bhí (vee)
Declarative sentence: Bhí (vee) = was
Question form: An raibh? (ahn rev) = was?
Negative declarative: Ní raibh (nee rev) = wasn’t
Negative question: Nach raibh? (noch rev) = wasn’t?

For past tense questions, we use bhí for yes and ní raibh for no.

Pronouns

mé (may) = I
muid (mwidj) = we
tú (too) = you
sibh (shiv) = y’all
sé (shay) = he or it
síad (shee-ud) = they
sí (she) = she or it

Nouns

Any proper name, like Norá or Liam, is a noun. Here are some other examples:
Madra (mah-druh) = dog
Gaeltacht (gwale-tahkt) = Irish-speaking region
Cat (kaht) = cat
Teanga (tahn-gah) = language
Bricfeasta (brik-fahsta) = breakfast
Lón (lohn) = lunch
Bía (bee-uh) = food
Fuinneog (fwin-yoeg) = window

Be aware of the gender of nouns when answering questions. For example, “An bhfuil fuinneog glan?” (“Is the window clean?”) would be answered Tá sí because fuinneog is a feminine noun.

Adjectives

Go maith (guh mah) = good
Go breá (guh braw) = fine
Go h-álainn (guh haw-ling) = beautiful
Ceart go leor (kyart guh lore) = okay
Fuar (foo-uhr) = cold
Te (tcheh) = hot
Nua (noo-uh) = new
Glan (glon) = clean
Salach (sahl-ahkh) = dirty

Bonus Words

agus (ah-gus) = and
ach (uhk) = but
inniu (inn-yoo) = today
anocht (ah-nohkt) = tonight

Examples

An bhfuil an aimsir inniu? (How is the weather today?)
Tá sí tirim ach fuar. (It’s dry but cold.)

Nach bhfuil mé cliste agus dathúil? (Aren’t I clever and handsome?)
Níl. Tá tú sean! (No. You are old!)

Try translating:

Bhí an lá scamallach agus fliuch?
(Was the day cloudy and wet?)
Ní raibh. Bhí sé grianmhar ach fuar.
(It wasn’t. It was sunny but cold.)

Nach bhfuil tú go h-iontach?
(Aren’t you wonderful?)

Now try these in Irish:

The day is beautiful.

Isn’t Liam clever?

Is the table dirty?

I hope you enjoy the exercises! Grab a notepad and see how many sentences you can construct. This is a great way to build vocabulary and strengthen your grammar.

Slán go fóill (Goodbye for now),
Bob Carney