Speak Irish: “Teach ar bhéal bóthar ní haistear é ach cóngar.”
(chawk ar vail bo-her nee haash-ter ay ach kohn-ger) A House by the roadside shortens your journey.
The pubs along the Wild Atlantic Way are fantastic places to visit on a cool, often damp, spring or fall day. The aroma of peat hits you as you walk in, and a bowl of chowder or a cup of hot tea will warm you quickly. In the past few months we’ve covered topics that we can use along with this months vocabulary, to have a simple conversation in one of those pubs and to order a drink or a bite to eat. In the meantime don’t wait to visit Ireland to use your Irish, the opportunity is always there waiting for us.
Vocabulary
Feoil (fee-ole) meat
Turcaí (turkey) turkey
Uaineoil (oon-ole) lamb
Liamhás (lee-voss) ham
Mairteoil (mort-ole) beef
Lacha (lock-ah) duck
Muiceoil (mwi-ke ole) pork
Stéig (stay-g) steak
Torthaí (tor-hee) fruit
Úlla (ool-a) apples
Peitseoga (pet-soga) peaches
Neachtairíní (nek-tah ree-nee) necterines
Liomóidí (limb-o-dee) lemons
Bananaí (banan-ee) bananas
Oráistí (or-osh-tee) oranges
Mealbhacáin uisce (malv-a-con ish-ka) watermelon
Glasraí (gloss-ree) vegetables
Tráitaí (traw-tee) tomatoes
Leitís (let-eesh) lettuce
Tornapaí (turn-a pea) turnips
Cabáiste (ca-bosh-ta) cabbage
Cairéid (car-aid) carrots
Prátaí (praw-tee) potatoes
Oinniúin (un-yoon) onion
Deochanna (jowk-ahnna) drinks
Caife dubh (kah-fay duv) black coffee
Tae láidir (tay lah-jer) strong tea
Tae lag (tay-lag) weak tea
Ar mhaith leat deoch?(ar vah laht jowhk) Would you like a drink?
An mbeidh deoch agat? (an mayd jowh ah-gut) Will you have a drink?
An bhfuil ocras ort? (an will oh kruss ort) Are you hungry?
An bhfuil tart ort? (an will tart ort) Are you thirsty?
Tá tart orm. (taw tart ort) I’m thirsty.
Tá ocras orm. (taw oh-kruss ort) I’m hungry.
An bhfuil tú réidh le hordú? (an will too ray le hor-doo) Are you ready to order?
An bhfuil sibh réidh le hordu? (an will shiv ray le hor-doo) Are you ready to order? Plural
Leat (laht) for you/ with you
Ba (buh) it would be
Ar – (ur) would it be
Liom (lum) for me / with me
Mise, an ea? (meesha ahn ah) Me, is it? Who me?
Ba mhaith leat (ba vah laht) You would like
Ba mhaith leat rud éigin a ithe. (ba vah laht rud a-gin a ih-ha) You would like something to eat.
Ar mhaith leat? (ar vah laht) Would you like?
Ar mhaith leat rud éigin a ithe? (ar vah laht rud a-gin a ih-ha) Would you like something to eat?
Ba mhaith. (ba vah) Yes. (it would be well)
Nior mhaith (neer vah) No (it would not be well)
Ba mhaith liom.(ba vah lum) I would like (it would be well with me)
Ba mhaith, ba mhaith liom rud éigin a ithe. (ba vah lum rud a-ginn a ih-ha) Yes, I would like something to eat.
Ba mhaith liom rud éigin a ól. (ba vah lum rud a-ginn a ol) I would like something to drink.
Sú oráiste (soo oh-rash-ta) orange juice
Ubh / an ubh (oov/ahn oov) egg / the egg
Putóg / an phutóg (puh-toeg/ahn fuh-toeg) pudding / the pudding
Ispín / an t-ispín / ispíní (ish-peen/an tish-peen/ish-peen-ee) sausage / the sausage / sausages
Bagún / an bagún (bah-goon/an bah-goon) bacon / the bacon
Arán bán / an t-arán bán (ah-rawn bahn/ an ta-rawn bahn) white bread / the white bread
Arán donn / an t-arán donn(ah-rawn dun/ahm ta-rawn dun) brown bread / the brown bread
Tósta / an tósta (tost-ah/ahn tost-ah) toast / the toast
Im / an t-im (im/ahn tim) butter / the butter
Cupán tae / an cupán tae (cup-ahn tay/ahn cup-ahn tay) tea / the tea
Caife / an caife (ka-fay/ ahn ka-fay) coffee / the coffee
Siúcra / an siúcra (shoo-kra/ahn shoo-kra) sugar / the sugar
Gloine bainne (glon-yah bahn-yah) glass of milk
Spúnóg amháin (spoo-nog ah-wahn) one spoon
Dhá spúnóg (gah spoo-nog) two spoons
Trí spúnóg (tree spoo-nog) three spoons
Anraith / an t-anraith (ahn-rah/ahn tahn-rah) soup / the soup
Milseog / an mhilseog (mill-shog/ahn vill-shog) dessert / the dessert
Briosca / an briosca / brioscaí (brish-ka/ahn brish-ka/brish-kee) biscuit / the biscuit / biscuits
Sailéad torthaí (sahl-ayd tor-hee) fruit salad
Feoil / an fheoil (fee-ole/ ahn ee-ole) meat / the meat
Sicín rósta/ an sicín rósta (shih-keen rost-ah) roast chicken / the roast chicken
Bia mara / an bia mara (bee-uh mar-ah) seafood / the seafood
Iasc / an t-iasc (ishk/ ahn tishk) fish / the fish
Uisce (ish-ka) water
uisce beatha (ish-ka bah-hah) whiskey (water of life)
Deoch bhog / deohanna boga (jowhk wog/juh-hanna bo-ga) soft drink / soft drinks
Beoir /an bheior (byore/ahn vyore) beer / the beer
Pionta beorach (pyonta byore-ach) pint of beer
Gloine beorach (glon-yah byore-ach) glass of beer
Fíon / an fíon (fee-un/ ahn fee-un) wine / the wine
Buidéal fíona (bu-dahl fee-uh-na) bottle of wine
Gloine fíona (glon-yah fee-uh-na) glass of wine
Freastalaí (frahs-ta lee) waiter
an freastalaí (ahn frahs-ta-lee) the waiter
freastalaithe (frahs-ta-lee-ha) waiters
Biachlár / an biachlár (bee-uh-clar/ahn bee-uh-clar) menu / the menu
Remember, there are two types of vowel groupings, broad and slender: a,o,and u are broad and e and i are slender.
A broad vowel would cause the lenited bh combination to be pronounced as a w, a slender vowel would make it be pronounced as a v.
SAMPLE CONVERSATION:
Waiter: Dia daoibh. (dee-uh yeev)
Seán agus Mairéad: Dia’s Muire duit. (dee-us morra gwit)
Waiter: Anois, Cad é a ba mhaith libh? (ah-nesh, kah-jay a ba vah liv)
Seán: Ba mhaith liomsa pionta beorach, le do thoil. (ba vah lum-sa pyonta byore-ach, le duh hall)
Waiter: Agus tú féin, cad é a ba mhaith leatsa? (ah-gus too fayne, kah-jay a ba vah laht-sa)
Mairéad: Ba mhaith liom cupán tae, le do thoil. (ba vah lum cup-ahn tay, le duh hall)
Waiter: Ar mhaith leat bainne agus siúcra le do chuid tae? (ar vah laht bahn-yah ah-gus shoo-kra le duh kuyd tay)
Mairéad: Ba mhaith liom bainne, le do thoil.(ba vah lum bahn-yah)
Waiter: Ceart go leor. (kyart guh lore)
Notice the waiter used the plural form to greet Seán and Mairéad, and they replied together in the singular. Their waiter than asked in the plural what they would like. Seán and the waiter also used the emphatic forms of liom and leat in there conversation. See if you can build on this conversation by refering back to previous lessons.
Slán go Fóill!
*Bob Carney is a student of Irish history and language and teaches the Speak Irish Cleveland class held every Tuesday @Pj McIntyre’s. He is also active in the Irish Wolfhounds and Irish dogs organizations in and around Cleveland. Wife Mary and hounds Cian and Morrighanand terrier Doolin keep the house jumping. He can be contacted at ca**************@gm***.com.
