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We continue the review of grammar and vocabulary through conversation. Read and pronounce phrase by phrase at first, until you can repeat the entire sentence. Try to form variant sentences as you read over the conversation. Begin with negative forms, then change the person of the verbs, or add a phrase such as “Dúirt sé” (DOO-irt shay*), he said, to put the sentence into direct speech.
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| Fionnuala* (fin-OO-luh): Dia dhuit, a Shinéad (DEE-uh git, uh hin-AY*D). | *Fionnuala, literally “fair shoulders”: Hello, Janet. | |
| Sinéad (shin-AY*D): Dia’s Muire dhuit (DEE-uhs MWIR-e git), a Fhionnuala (uh in-OO-luh). Conas tá tú inniu? | Hello, Fionnuala. How are you today?
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| Fionnuala: Tá mé go maith inniu, agus conas tá tú féin? (fay*n) | I am well, and how are you yourself?
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| Sinéad: Tá mé go maith freisin (FRESH-in). Ní fhaca mé tú ó Nollaig (nee AHK-uh may* too oh NUHL-ig). Ach chonaic mé d’iníon cúpla lá ó shin san ollmhargadh (ahk* k*uh-NIK may* din-EEN KOOP-luh law* oh HIN suhn oul-VWAHR-uh-guh). | I am well too. I didn’t see you since Christmas. But I saw your daughter a couple of days ago in the supermarket.
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| Fionnuala: Bhí slaghdán uafásach orm le dhá sheachtain ach tá biseach orm anois (vee sleye-DAW*N woo-FAW*S-uhk* OH-ruhm le gaw* HAHK*T-in, ahk* taw* BI-shahk* OH-ruhm uh-NISH). | I had a terrible cold for two weeks, but there is improvement on me now.
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| Sinead: Is maith liom é sin a cholisteáil (is MAH luhm ay* shin uh K*LISH-taw*-il). Bíonn an oiread sin daoine tinn na laethanta seo nach féidir liom iad a chomhaireamh (BEE-uhn un IR-uhd shin DEEN-e tin nuh LAY*-uhn-tuh shuh nahk* FAY*-dir luhm EE-uhd uh K*OH-ir-uhv). | I am glad to hear that. There be so many people sick these days that I can’t count them.
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| Fionnuala: Ó, tá an ceart agat (oh, taw* un KART uh-GUHT). Níl aon leigheas ar an slaghdán fós (neel ay*n LEYE-uhs er un sleye-DAW*N fohs). | Oh, you’re right. There is no cure for the cold yet.
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| Sinéad: Feicim do mháthair ar an sráid uaireanta (FEK-im duh VWAHW*-hir er un SRAW*D OO-i-ran-tuh). Chonaiceamar í ag féachaint ar fhuinneoga na siopaí inné (k*uh-NIK-uh-muhr ee uh FAY*-uhk*-int er in-YOHG-uh nuh SHOHP-ee in-YAY*). Bhí sí ina seasamh lasmuigh an siopa mór úd thall (vee shee IN-uh SHAS-uhv lahs-MWEE un SHOHP-uh mohr ood houl). | I see your mother on the street sometimes. We saw her looking at the store windows yesterday. She was standing outside the big store over yonder.
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| Fionnuala: Chuala mé go raibh sí amuigh ag siopadóireacht (K*OO-uh-luh may* goh rev shee uh-MWEE uh shohp-uh-DOH-i-rahk*t). Tabharfaidh mé cuairt uirthi i gceann tamaill (TOOR-hee may* KOO-irt IR-ee i gyoun TAH-mil). Níl mé ábalta á dhéanamh sin direach anois (neel may* AW*-buhl-tuh aw* YAY*-uhv shin dee-RAHK* uh-NISH). | I heard that she was out shopping. I will visit her in a while. I am not able to do that just now.
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| Sinéad: Agus conas tá d’athair? (KUN-uhs taw* DA-hir) An bhfaca tú ar na mallaibh é? (un VWAHK-uh too er nuh MAHL-iv ay*) | And how is your father? Did you see him recently?
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| Fionnuala: Tháinig sé chuig ár dteach deireadh na seachtaine seo caite (HAW*-nig shay* hig aw*r DAHK* DER-uh nuh SHAHK*T-in-e shuh KAH-tye). Tá sé ina shláinte fós, freisin (taw* shay* IN-uh HLAW*-in-tye fohs, FRESH-in). | He came to our house last weekend. He is in his good health still, too.
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| Sinéad: Feicfidh mé m’athair amárach (FEK-hee may MA-hir uh-MAW*-rahk*). Rachaimid chuig an gcathair le chéile (RAHK*-hi-mid hig un GAH-hir le HYAY*-le). Tá mórán nithe le déanamh agam ann (taw* moh-RAW*N NI-he le DAY*N-uh uh-GUHM oun). | I will see my father tomorrow. We will go to the city together. There are many things that I have to do there.
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| Fionnuala: Téim go dtí an chathair anois agus arís (TAY*-im goh DYEE un K*AH-hir uh-NISH AH-guhs uh-REESH). Fillimid abhaile ar an traein (FIL-i-mid uh-VWAHL-e er un TRAY*N). | I go to the city now and again (occasionally). We return home on the train.
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| Sinéad: Ní maith liom an traein (nee MAH luhm un TRAY*N). Is fearr liom an bus (is FAHR luhm un BUS). Ní thiomáinimid chuig an gcathair anois (nee hi-MAW*N-i-mid hig un GAH-hir uh-NISH). Bíonn sé chomh deacair áit phaircéala a fháil (BEE-uhn shay* hoh DAK-uhr aw*t faw*rk-AW*L-uh uh AW*-il). | I don’t like the train. I prefer the bus. We don’t drive to the city now. It is so difficult to get a parking place.
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| Fionnuala: Bíonn an iomarca carranna ann na laethanta seo (BEE-uhn un OOM-uhr-kuh KAHR-uh-nuh oun nuh LAY*-uhn-tuh shuh). | There are too many cars these days.
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| Notes: “Ollmhargadh” means a giant market, the equivalent of a supermarket in the United States. “Ina seasamh” means “in her standing”; this is said instead of “ag seasamh”. “Ina sheasamh” (in uh HAS-uhv), means “in his standing”. You give a visit, rather than simply visit someone, in Irish; “thug sé cuairt orm” means “he visited me”.
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