Go mbeannaí Dia daoibh idir óg agus aosta agus bhur gcéad fáilte isteach chuig The Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
This week we’ll look at telling people where you are going.
Cá bhfuil tú ag dul? is where are you going, although cá bhfuil is usually shortened to cál.
So far, so easy, but there are different ways of saying to in Irish.
Now, if you are a teenager and your parents ask you where you are going you can use the one word answer that all teenagers give, ie amach - out.
Woe betide any parent who tries to get any more information out of their loving bundle of hormones.
Adults, however, will gladly tell you of their latest adventures, as in
tá mé ag dul go Latharnaamárach - I am going to Larne or bhí muid ag dul go Beannchar - we’re going to Bangor.
Or if you know the name of a place, you could be going go Tesco, go Sainsbury’s.
However, if you are going to the something, then go changes to go dtí.
Tá Máire ag siúl go dtí an banc - Mary is going to the bank or chuaighPeadar go dtí an siopa - Peter went to the shop.
Instead of go, you can also use another word, chuig which also means to.
Tá Louise ag dul chuig coirmcheoil Beoga - Louise is going to the Beoga concert or níl mé ag dul chuig an chóisir - I’m not going to the party.
Get a dictionary and look up words for post office, garage, supermarket,
It’s coming up to the time of year when people are counting down the days until the school term ends - they don’t want to end up on The Nolan Show - and they can go off with the kids on an exotic holiday.
Next month, the Bluffer is heading off to China to spend ten days in Beijing, something he never tires of telling people, adding a little twist of exotica to his persona.
Barbers and hairdressers are great because whether they are giving you Mohican, a short back and sides or a perm, they all tend to ask you if you are going anywhere nice.
So you are having a conversation with your hairdresser and they ask you an bhfuil tú ag dul ar saoire i mbliana? - are you going on holidays this year?
Another word for to is chun and it complicates things because it is followed by what is called the genetive case.
We’ll tackle the genitive later but at this juncture, you can practice sentences like these - and notice that you only use chun with countries that begin with An ...
It’s still go Sasana - to England or go hAlbain - to Scotland because these countries don’t have an before their names in Irish but with the likes of an Spáinn - Spain, an Iodáil - Italy and an Ghearmáin - Germany, you can start off with tá mé ag dul ... and then you can choose from chun na Spáinne - to Spain, chun na hIodáile - to Italy, chun na Gearmáine - to Germany.
Again, you can look up the dictionary and find the name of other countries.
Next week, the Bluffer offers an apology and drags himself into the 21st century.
CÚPLA FOCAL
Cá bhfuil tú ag dul? (caal too a’gul) - where are you going
amach (amaakh) - out
Tá mé ag dul go Latharnaamárach (taa may a’gul gaw laharna amaraakh) - I am going to Larne tomorrow
bhí muid ag dul go Beannchar(vee midge a’gul daw banakher) - we were going to Bangor
Tá Máire ag siúl go dtí an banc(taa myra a shoo-il gaw jee un baank) - Mary is walking to the bank
chuaigh Peadar go dtí an siopa(khooee pader gaw jee un shuppa) - Peter went to the shop
Tá Louise ag dul chuig coirmcheoil Beoga (taa louise a’gul hig kirim kyawl byawga) - Louise is going to the Beoga concert
níl mé ag dul chuig an chóisir (neel may a’gul hig an khoesher) - I’m not going to the party
an bhfuil tú ag dul ar saoire i mbliana?(un wil too a’gul er seera i mbleeana) - are you going on holidays this year?
go Sasana(gaw sasana) - to England
go hAlbain (gaw halabin)- to Scotland
chun na Spáinne(hun na spaanya - to Spain
chun na hIodáile (hun na hidaalye) - to Italy
chun na Gearmáine (hun na garamaanya) - to Germany