Irish-Language

The way to avoid boredom is to fill you day with varied activities

Dia daoibh guys and gals and welcome to the La La Land that is Bluffer’s Guide to Irish. 

The Bluffer is a busy man this weather. Take the past deireadh seachtaine - weekend, for example.

Cad é rinne tú ag an deireadh seachtaine? What did you do at the weekend, you can ask you Irish-speaking chums.

They can come up with a number of answers which might have you keeled over with laughter or pushing zeds depending on how interesting their life is.

For example, on Friday, it might be chuaigh mé chuig an dochtúir - I went to the doctor’s. (We know Friday isn’t strictly the weekend but we’re giving it a temporary permit).

Now you could ask your friend, cad é atá ort?” What’s wrong with you? and they will then wax lyrical about their piles or their man flu or their gout.

The Bluffer is suffering from none of these he hastens to add!

From the doctor’s it was off to be interviewed by Raidió na Gaeltachta about the upcoming elections we discussed last week.

Rinne mé agallamh - I did an interview be it for Al Jazeera or for a job at McDonald’s.

Cuireadh agallamh orm means I was interviewed and again that could be for radio or TV or for a job.

The interview took place in RTÉ’s studio in Ormeau Avenue, perfectly situated for a trip to the seomra aclaíochta - the gym round the corner in Adelaide Street.

There the Bluffer did he whole gamut.

Rith sé 5 chiliméadar - he ran 5k on the treadmill; thóg se meácháin - he lifted weights that would crush Popeye the Sailor Man even after a tin of spinach; cycled like Lance Armstrong on a bender and twisted and turned like something out of The Exorcist.

This exercise was needed because he need his to be fully fit, physically and mentally, for his rang Spánnise - Spanish class where he would be expected to juggle the preterite and the perfect tenses like a top class grammatical circus act. Twas great exercise for the mind.

Now there are some things you do because you want to do them and other things you do because you have to.

A way of saying you have to do something is to begin with b’éigean dom - I had to.

So, after the Spanish class, b’éigean dom alt a scríobh - I had to write an article.

Or b’éigean dom dul abaile - I had to go home and so on.

The Bluffer did in fact have an article to write but then, it was time for pleasure rather than business as he headed to Bia, the restaurant in Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich for some great food accompanied by a bottle of Argentinian Malbec.

And so Friday ended with lots of stuff one.

Foghlaim - learning, aclaíocht - exercise, obair - work and finsishing off with a lovely meal and cuideachta mhaith - good company.

The Bluffer has found that the more varied the day is, the less chance there is that you will get bored or depressed. 

He could have added scíste - rest, timireacht - chores, siamsaiocht - entertainment and so on. Isn’t it amazing all the things you can fit into every day? 

CÚPLA FOCAL

deireadh seachtaine (jeroo shakhtinya) - weekend

Cad é rinne tú ag an deireadh seachtaine? (cadge ay rin too eg un jeroo shakhtinya) What did you do at the weekend?

chuaigh mé chuig an dochtúir (khooey may hig un dokhtoor) - I went to the doctor’s.

cad é atá ort? (cadge ay ataa ort) What’s wrong with you?

Rinne mé agallamh (rin may agaloo) - I did an interview

Cuireadh agallamh orm (keroo agaloo orim) - I was interviewed 

seomra aclaíochta(shawmra acleeakhta) - a gym

Rith sé 5 chiliméadar(ree shay cooig cilimayder) - he ran 5k

thóg se meácháin (hoge shay maahaan) - he lifted weights

rang Spánnise (raang spanyisha) - a Spanish class

b’éigean dom alt a scríobh (baygin doo alt a shkreeoo) - I had to write an article

b’éigean dom dul abaile (baygin doo ful awalla) - I had to go home

foghlaim(foe-lim) - learning

aclaíocht(acleeakht) - exercise

obair(ubber) - work 

cuideachta mhaith(cujakhta why) - good company

scíste(shkeeshta) - rest

timireacht (chimarakht) - chores

siamsaiocht(sheeamseeakht) - entertainment