Pronounce the sound for an “m” which is near “a”, “o”, or “u” with your lips out and rounded. Practice on: má (maw*), if; mór (mohr), big; múnla (MOON-luh), a mold; muc (muk), pig; mac (mahk), son; maith (mah), good; molaim (MUHL-im), I praise; mná (muh-NAW*), women. Inside a word or at a word end: cumann (KU-muhn), a society; plámás (PLAW*-maw*s), flattery; cam (koum), crooked; ómósach (OH-moh-sahk*), respectful; bromach (BRUH-muhk*), colt; taom (tay*m), a fit. When the nearest vowel in the word is “e” or “i”, pronounce the “m” with lips in close to the teeth and spread slightly sideways, as in a faint smile. Practice on: mé (may*), I; mín (meen), smooth; meirg (MER-rig), rust; minic (MIN-ik), often. Inside a word or at a word end: bím (beem), I be; céim (kay*m), a step, degree: réimir (RAY-mir), a prefix; cime (KI-me), a captive; aimsir (EYEM-sheer), season; sméar (smay*r), berry
The free form of saorbhriathar (say*r-VREE-huhr) for “tá” is “táthar” (TAW*-huhr). Here is an example to show you its use: “Tá sí ag rith” (uh ri) means “she is running”. “Táthar ag rith” means “Someone is running” or “People are running”. Another example is: “Tá siad ag léamh an leabhair” (uh lay*v un LOU-wir), meaning “They are reading the book”. “Táthar ag léamh an leabhair” means “The book is being read” or “People are reading the book”. The negative for “táthar” is “níltear” (NEEL-tuhr), and an example of its use is “Níltear ag siúl” (uh shool), meaning “No one is walking”. Questions can be asked by means of “an bhfuiltear” (un VWIL-tuhr) or “nach bhfuiltear”. For example, “An bhfuiltear ag léamh an leabhair sin?” is “Are people reading that book?” These forms can serve in indirect speech, too. “Deir Seán go bhfuiltear ag siúl” is “John says that people are walking”. Sometimes the free form is in the first part of a sentence like this. An example is “Feictear dom go bhfuiltear ag caitheamh tobac” (uh KAH-huhv toh-BAHK), which is “It seems to me that people are smoking”.
Masculine Nouns eolas, an t-eolas (un TOH-luhs), knowledge of a subject or place, rather than of a fact glas (glahs), a lock poll eochrach (poul OHK*-ruhk*), keyhole poll na heochrach (poul nuh HOHK*-ruhk*), the keyhole Feminine Nouns eochair, an eochair (un OHK*-hir), key aeróg, an aeróg (un ay*r-ROHG), aerial of a radio or TV set leaba (LA-buh), bed sreang, an tsreang (srang, un trang), wire caibidil, an chaibidil (un K*AH-bi-dil), chapter
Make four sentences out of each of the word groups below. The example of what to do follows the first group.
Notes: Usually when you change to the free form, a word follows the free form. The word may be the original noun, such as “bainne” or “an Fhraincis”, or it may be a pronoun, such as “é”, “í”, or “iad”. Adverbs and other words may be repeated, too, or left out, depending on the meaning that you want to convey and on how briefly you wish to express yourself. Remember that “an” and “nach” eclipse the first consonant of the next verbal form where possible, and that “nach” causes an “n” to precede a vowel starting the next word, as in “nach n-óltar”.
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