Now that tú know that tá (agus, by extension, bhí agus beidh) is like an old cara (“friend”), tú can use it to say almost anything. The way tú do that is with the use of verbal nouns or, perhaps more clearly in colloquial Béarla, -i-n-g words. Mar shampla (“for example”), i mBéarla muid would say coming, going, drinking, eating, etc. I nGaeilge the construction would be:

verb + subject + at + verbal noun
Tá + mé + ag + dul
“it’s + me + at + going” [“I’m going”]

It is amazing how much you can say with this simple addition to the language! Just watch how it transforms your ability to express yourself in the following conversation. [new word: freisin, “also”]

A: a Mháire! Cad é mar atá tú?
B: go maith, a Cháit, go raibh maith agat. Agus tú féin?

A: go breá. Cá bhfuil tú ag dul?
B: Tá mé ag dul abhaile. Tá báisteach ann agus ní maith liom an aimsir fliuch.

A: Tá, cinnte. Bhí mé ag dul go Seattle inné agus bhí báisteach freisin.
B: An bhfuil tú as Seattle?

A: Níl. Is as Los Angeles mé. Ba mhaith liom ag dul go Los Angeles inniu!
B: Mise freisin! Slán leat, a Cháit.

A: Slán abhaile.

Notice that a normal conversation between two friends used some variant of “I am going” several times, as well as essential phrases of greeting (p.8), talk of the weather (p.27), one’s preferences (p.21) and one’s origins (p.20) all in just a few sentences. While someone might use “I went” instead of “I was going,” one could get away with “I was going,” especially in this context of rain happening while one was going to Seattle. People in Ireland are well aware of what the weather is like in various parts of the United States.

Now take a look at these other verbal nouns (-ing words) and see if you can apply them in sentences by answering the questions that follow.

ól – drinking

dul – going

scriobhneoireacht – writing

ithe – eating

teacht – coming

staidéar – studying

caint – talking

suigh – sitting

obair – working

codhladh – sleeping

deanamh – making

siopadóireacht – shopping

imirt – playing

imeacht – leaving

cócaireacht – cooking

 

Try to remember the question words as you answer these below!!

Cá bhfuil tú ag obair? Tá mé ag obair sa gharraí.

An bhfuil sibh ag obair?

Cad é a hól [drinking] tú?

Cad é a hithe tú?

Cá bhfuil siad ag dul?

An bhfuil tú ag teacht?

Cá raibh sé ag suigh inné?

Cá mbeidh sí ag codhladh?

An bhfuil sibh ag caint?

Now tú can use three basic questions (are/were/will be), three location questions (where are/where were/where will be), three regular statements (there is, there were, there will be), and verbal nouns – usable with any and all of them!

It’s time for a few more nouns so that tú aren’t dealing exclusively with animals. These are people nouns, and notice the feminine nouns (they lenite):

an fear (“the man”)

an t-athair (“the father”)

an bhean (“the woman”)

an mháthair (“the mother”)

an fear chéile (“the husband”)

an bhean chéile (“the wife”)

an buachaill (“the boy”)

an mac (“the son”)

an cailín (“the girl”)

an iníon (“the daughter”)

an páiste (“the child”)

an cara (“the friend”)

an leanbh (“the baby”)

an duine (“the person”)

an comharsa (“the neighbor”)

an leannán (“the lover”)

What Did You Call Him?

It’s time to add some more adjectives to ár bhfocail. These are very handy in describing people, places, and objects. Tú negate them with níl, as in níl sé gorm, “he is not blue.” Tú learned some adjectives when tú studied dathanna agus arís (“again”) later. Take a look at the following adjectives, and write them out (repeatedly) in the space provided. Some will be familiar!

mór (“big”)

beag (“little”)

sásta (“happy”)

brón (“sad”)

fearg (“angry”)

tanaí (“thin”)

ramhar (“fat”)

dóighiúil (“handsome”)

deas (“pretty”)

gránna (“ugly”)

fada (“long”)

gearr (“short”)

cairdiúil (“friendly”)

tuirseach (“tired”)

blasta (“delicious”)

tinn (“sick”)

milis (“sweet”)

searbh (“bitter”)

broidiúil (“busy”)

ard (“high”)

lach (“pleasant”)

Anois (“now”) tú can describe all kinds of things. Mar shampla, try answering the following ceisteanna (“questions”) with adjectives.

Cad é mar an caife? Tá an caife searbh!

Cad é mar an carr?

Cad é mar an seomra?

Cad é mar an teach?

Cad é mar an duine?

Cad é mar an tae?

Cad é mar an t-uisce?

Cad é mar an chathaoir?

Cad é mar an madra?

Cad é mar an bhó?

Cad é mar an teach?

Cad é mar an bus?

Cad é mar an rothar?

Cad é mar an tacsaí?

Cad é mar an garraí?

Cad é mar an lá?

Cad é mar an pictiúir?

Cad é mar an chaora?

Focail in aisce (“free”):

Gaeilge … Irish
gairdín … garden
gairleog … garlic
galf … golf
garda … guard (police)