Pronunciation Review

Read the Irish below slowly without looking at the key below. Then read it a second time, making use of the key if you are unsure. Do not try to make sense of the words; concentrate on the pronunciation and on grouping the words into phrases.

baineann an foras ó thaobh cúrsaí airgid agus gloine dhaite ar cheann de na seancharranna sé lá den tseachtain. Ní raibh de bhuntáiste acu, ach cúigear múinteoir ba dheise ar fad den oíche. Mar atá ráite agam, bíonn sé le fáil ar níos lú.

Key: BWIN-uhn uhn FOHR-uhs oh hay*v KOOR-see AR-i-gid AH-guhs GLIN-uh GAH-te er hyoun de nuh shan-K*AHR-uh-nuh shay* law* den TYAHK*T-in. nee rev de vun-TAW*SH-te ah-KUH, ahk* KOO-ig-uhr moo-in-TYOHR buh YESH-e er fahd den EE-huh. mahr taw* RAW*-tye uh-GUHM, BEE-uhn shay* le FAW*-il er nees loo.

Grammar

In the future tense, the irregular verbs are more readily recognizable than when they are in the past tense, but several of them differ considerably from what you would expect of a regular verb. Here are the forms:

feicfidh mé (FEK-hee may*), I shall see

ní fheicfidh mé (nee EK-hee may*), I shall not see

an bhfeicfidh mé? (un VEK-hee may*), shall I see?

cloisfidh mé (KLISH-hee may*), I shall hear

ní chloisfidh mé (nee K*LISH-hee may*), I shall not hear

an gcloisfidh mé? (un GLISH-hee may*), shall I hear?

tiocfaidh mé (TYUHK-hee may*), I shall come

ní thiocfaidh mé (nee HUHK-hee may*), I shall not come

an dtiocfaidh mé? (un DYUHK-hee may*), shall I come?

rachaidh mé (RAHK*-hee may*), I shall go

ní rachaidh mé (nee RAHK*-hee may*), I shall not go

An rachaidh mé? (un RAHK*-hee may*), shall I go?

déanfaidh mé (DAY*N-hee may*), I shall make, do

ní dhéanfaidh mé (nee YAY*N-hee may*), I shall not make, do

an ndéanfaidh mé? (un NYAY*N-hee may*), shall I make, do

déarfaidh mé (DYAY*R-hee may*), I shall say

ní déarfaidh mé (nee DYAY*R-hee may*), I shall not say

an ndéarfaidh mé? (un NYAY*R-hee may*), shall I say?

tabharfaidh mé (TOOR-hee may*), I shall give

ní thabharfaidh mé (nee HOOR-hee may*), I shall not give

an dtabharfaidh mé? (un DOOR-hee may*), shall I give?

gheobhaidh mé (YOH-ee may*), I shall get

ní bhfaighidh mé (nee VWEYE-ee may*), I shall not get

an bhfaighidh mé? (un VWEYE-ee may*), shall I get?

béarfaidh mé air (BAY*R-hee may* er), I shall catch him

ní bhéarfaidh mé air (nee VAY*R-hee may* er), I shall not catch him

an mbéarfaidh mé air? (un MAY*R-hee may* er), shall I catch him

íosfaidh mé (EES-hee may*), I shall eat

ní íosfaidh mé (nee EES-hee may*), I shall not eat

an íosfaidh mé? (un EES-hee may*), shall I eat?

Note that the negative "ní déarfaidh mé" does not have an aspirated "d", although it is eclipsed in "an ndéarfaidh mé?".

For indirect speech, the forms are eclipsed, as in "is dóigh liom go dtiocfaidh sé" (is DOH-ee luhm goh DYUHK-hee shay*), I think that he will come.

You will need some drill with these future forms, and we will make use of them extensively for a few weeks to give you fluency in them.

Vocabulary

Masculine nouns

ceapaire (KAP-uh-re), sandwich

adhmad, an t-adhmad (EYE-muhd, un TEYE-muhd), wood

adhmaid (EYE-mwid), of wood, wooden

bailigh, ag bailiú (BAHL-ee, uh BAHL-yoo), gather, collect; bailím (BAHL-eem), I gather

fiafraigh, ag fiafraí (FEE-uhr-ee, uh FEE-uhr-ee), ask (for information); fiafraím de (FEE-uhr-eem de), I ask him

lig, ag ligean (lig, uh LIG-uhn), let; ligeann sé dom, he lets me

imir, ag imirt (IM-ir, eg IM-irt), play (a game); imrím cártaí (IM-reem KAW*R-tee), I play cards

rinc, ag rince (rink, uh RINK-e), dance

cineálta (kin-AW*L-tuh), kind-hearted

néata (NAY*-tuh), neat

buíoch (BWEE-uhk*), thankful; buíoch diot (BWEE-uhk* DEE-uht), thankful to you

Drill

First, go through a progressive drill with each of the irregular verbs in the future tense: feic, clois, tar, téigh, abair, tabhair, faigh, beir ar, and ith.

Start with: an bhfeicfidh mé Seán? Ní fheicfidh mé Seán. Feicfidh tú Seán. An bhfeicfidh tú Seán? Ní fheicfidh tú Seán. Feicfidh sé Seán. Etc. the last sentence will be: Feicfidh mé Seán.

For the others, begin with: An gcloisfidh mé Seán? An dtiocfaidh mé abhaile? An rachaidh mé amach? An ndéarfaidh mé é sin? An dtabharfaidh mé do Mháire é? An bhfaighidh mé an t-airgead? (TAR-i-guhd) An mbéarfaidh mé ar an bhfear? An íosfaidh mé an lón?

Then review the past and present tenses of these iregular verbs, as given in previous lessons.

<<back to top of page>>

(c) 1997 The Irish People. May be reprinted with credit.