One of your first opportunities to use Gaeilge will be at a bialann or at a pub, when tú get to express your likes and dislikes. This applies not only to what tú wish to order, but also to whether tú like a particular type of music, a sports team, a television show, whatever. The way one does this in Gaeilge is to use a different form of “to be,” called the copula. It is used at the front of the sentence, just like tá, and it is used to express matters of identity and permanence, as opposed to temporary issues like location. In present tense, the word is is (pronounced “iss”), and in past tense, it’s ba.

Is mise                                     . Your name is a matter of permanence, isn’t it? So are relationships with family members and friends.

Is mo mhathair í: literally, this means “it’s my mother, her.” Please note the similarity between the word sí (“she”) and í (“her”). One is a subject, and one is an object. Similarly, sé (“he”) and é (“him”), and siad (“they”) and iad (“them”). Tú could say tá sí mo chara (“she is my friend”), but it’s more grammatically correct in Gaeilge (reflecting the permanence of friendship) to say is mo chara í.

When tú like something in Gaeilge, tú express it by saying is maith liom (“it’s good with me”) followed by whatever it is tú like. And if tú don’t like it, tú can just say ní maith liom and the thing tú don’t like. What do tú think these following sentences are talking about?

Is maith liom tae (vs.) Ní maith liom tae
Is maith liom caife (vs.) Ní maith liom caife

And if tú really don’t like something, tú can say is fuath liom, “It’s hateful with me…” as in is fuath liom do dheartháir, “I hate your brother.” In any case, now tú can express likes, dislikes, and preferences.

Is maith liom tae. [iss my lum tey] I like tea.
Is fearr liom caife. [iss far lum kafya] I prefer coffee.
Is maith liom tae, ach [akh – “but”] is fearr liom caife. I like tea, but I prefer coffee.

In the following sentences, compare two things/places/people as suggested. Tú get to choose which one tú like and which one tú prefer, whether it’s tea or coffee, or beoir (“beer”) or fíon (“wine”).

(caife, tae) Is maith liom tae, ach is fearr liom caife.

(Seattle, Chicago)

(Dublin, Galway)

(my dog, your cat)

(Yankees, Red Sox)

(Pepsi, Coke)

(beoir, fíon)

If tú don’t like either, tú can say ní maith liom beoir nó (“nor”) fíon.

So far tú have expressed only your likes and dislikes, using the conjugated preposition liom, “with me.” But like all prepositions, le (“with”) can be fully conjugated to express “with me, with you, with us,” etc. Here it is:

LE (with)
liom [lum] with me
leat [latt] with you
leis [lesh] with him
léi [ley-ee] with her
linn [linn] with us
libh [liv] with y’all
leo [lyo] with them

Now tú can say what anybody likes and dislikes! Take a look below:

Is maith léi tae. [iss my ley-ee tey] She likes tea.
(it’s good with her, tea)

Is maith linn do chat. [is my linn do khat] We like your cat.
(it’s good with us, your cat)

Ní maith le mo chat do mhadra. [nee my le mo khat do wadra] My cat dislikes your dog.
(it’s not good with my cat, your dog)

In every case, tú include verb/subject/object structure to the sentence.

What about this?

Is maith leis tae, ach is fearr léi caife.
He likes tea, but she prefers coffee.
(it’s good with him, tea, but it’s better with her, coffee)

Or you could say:

Is maith linn é, ach ní maith le do mháthair é.
We like him, but your mother doesn’t like him.
(it’s good with us, him, but not good with your mother, him)

Now write out the following sentences, placing substitutions appropriately, noting that anytime tú see “with,” tú need to re-conjugate le to fit in place of liom (“with me”):

Is maith liom do mhadra. (substitute “his cat,” “with him,” “with us,” “with my dog,” “hates,” “with y’all,” “likes,” “doesn’t like”)

To ask if someone likes something, just put a question indicator, an, in front of maith instead of is or ní. Note the different potential answers, below.

An maith leat tae? [un my latt tey?] Do you like tea?
(literal translation: is it good with you, tea?)

Is maith liom! [iss my lum!] I do!
(it’s good with me!)

Is fearr liom caife, le do thoil. [iss far lum kafya, leh do hull.] I prefer coffee, please.
(it’s better with me, coffee, with your pleasure.)

The phrase le do thoil is the most common way of saying “please,” and is attached to the end of the request. It is pronounced “leh do hull.” And see? Tú can use prepositions like le without having to conjugate them at all. Now look back at the top of this page. Every sentence tú created above could easily be turned into a question, simply by substituting an for is or ní. Try saying the sentences out loud, first as is, then as questions.

What if tú are being offered tea? In Gaeilge as in Béarla, the question is worded differently. If tú like or don’t like tea, it is pretty straightforward as tú saw earlier in this Step. If tú would like tea, you use ba instead of is and lenite the following word (usually, maith as in ba mhaith, “would like”). To ask a question, change an to ar and lenite as well. To negate, change ní to níor and lenite the following word. The rule stays the same!

Take a look:
An maith leat tae? [unn wy latt tey?] Do you like tea?
but…
Ar mhaith leat tae? [air wy latt tey?] Would you like tea?

Similarly, if tú just like tea, plain and simple, tú say:
Is maith liom tae. [iss my lum tey.] I do like tea.
but…
Ba mhaith liom tae. [ba wy lum tey.] I would like tea.

To negate a sentence involving likes and dislikes, say:
Ní maith liom tae. [nee my lum tey.] I do not like tea.
but…
Níor mhaith liom tae. [neer wy lum tey.] I would not like tea.

or to express preferences:
Is fearr liom caife. [iss far lum kafya.] I do prefer coffee.
but…
B’fhearr liom caife. [bar lum kafya.] I would prefer coffee.

Since it is bad manners to refuse someone’s hospitality, if you are offered something, smile and say ba mhaith [ba wy], “I would”! Try writing out these practice sentences to absorb the differences between I do and I would. Do both.

(I would prefer beer.)

(I do prefer wine.)

(I would like tea.)

(I do like coffee.)

(Do you like my dog?)

(Would you like my dog?)

(I do not like television.)

(I would not like a television.)

It’s time for more free focail!

easpórtáil [asportawl] (export)
eastát [astawt] (estate)
éifeacht [eyfekht] (effect)
eitic [etic] (ethics)
eitneach [etnakh] (ethnic)