Comhrá(KOH-raw*), Conversation

Cathal(KAH-hul): A ita, gabh i leith­­másédo thoilé(uh EE-tuh, GOU i le, MAW* shay* duh HIL-ay*). Ita, come here, please.

Ita(EE-tuh): Cad is ea, a Chathal? (kahd sha, uh K*AH-hil) An bhfuil rudéigin cearr­­sa tsráid? (un VWIL ruhd AY*-gin kyahr suh TRAW*D) What is it, Cathal? Is something wrong in the street?

Cathal: Rug na póilíníar fhear­­anois beag (rug nuh poh-LEEN-ee er ar uh-NISH byuhg). The police just seized a man.

Ita: Gadaí, an ea? (GAH-dee, un a) A thief, is it?

Cathal: Is ea. Beireann na póilíníorthu go minic (BER-uhn nuh poh-LEEN-ee OHR-huh goh MIN-ik). It is. The police seize them often.

Ita: Cathain a bhéarfaidh (VAY*R-hee) siad­­ar an ngadaí(er ung AH-dee) ar rug greim (grem)­­ar mo mhála? When will they catch the thief who grabbed (seized hold of) my bag?

Cathal: Sin scéal eile (shin shkay*l EL-e). Na bac leis. That's another story. Don't worry about it.

Ita: Náhabair liomésin. Níthabharfaidh (HOOR-hee) sésin misneach dom (MISH-nahk* duhm). Don't tell me that. That won't cheer me up (give courage to me).

Cathal: Ceannaigh ceann eile, más mian leat (KAN-ee kyoun EL-e, maw*s MEE-uhn lat). Buy another one, if you want.

Ita: Ach céard faoi mo chártai cairde? (ahk* kay*rd fwee muh K*AW*R-tee KAHR-de) Tásiad caillte agam anois (taw* SHEE-uhd KEYEL-te uh-GUHM uh-NISH). But what about my credit cards? I have lost them now.

Cathal: Nímór an cailleadh domésin (nee mohr un KEYEL-uh duhm ay* shin). Ach, féach! Tána poh-LEEN-ee ag cuardach an ghadaí(uh KOO-uhr-dahk* un GAH-dee) agus a mhala mhoir (uh VWAW*-luh VWOH-ir). Nach bhfuil do mhala ann (oun), i mbarr an chairn? (i MAHR uh K*AHRN). That's not a big loss for me. But look! The police are searching the thief and his big bag. Isn't your bag there, on top of the heap?

Ita:Ó, táan ceart agat! Buíochas le Dia (BWEE-uhk*-huhs le DYEE-uh). Caithfidh mérith amach agus iad a fháil (KAH-hee may* ri uh-MAHK* AH-guhs EE-uhd uh AW*-il). Oh, you're right! Thanks be to God. I will have to run out and get them.

Cathal: Iad, an ea? Is docha gurb fhearr leat na cártaícairde náan mála (is DOHK*-uh GUR-ruhb ahr lat nuh KAW*R-tee naw* un MAW*-luh). Them, is it? It's likely that you prefer the credit cards to the bag.

Ita: Gach aoinne is a chúram féin air (gahk* AY*N-yuh is uh K*OOR-uhm fay*n er). Ach cén fáth gur thug séna cártaíleis? (ahk* kay*n FAW* gur HUG shay* nuh KAW*R-tee lesh). Everyone has his own troubles. But why did he carry the cards with him?

Cathal: Shíl ségurb fhearr bheith a cheannach ar cairde nábheith a ghoid (HEEL shay* GUR-ruhv ahr ve uh HYAN-uhk* er KAHR-de naw* ve uh gwid). He thought it would be better to be buying on credit than to be stealing.

Ita: Nábíag magadh fúm anois (naw* be uh MAHG-uh foom uh-NISH). Don't be making fun of me now.

Notes on the conversation:

In Ireland, the police are the GardaíSiochána (GAHR-dee shee-K*AWN-uh), but in the United States, police can be called "pólíní".

"Mála mór" is a "big bag", but when you speak of searching (of) a big bag, then the words "mála mór" are put into the genitive case. For "mála", this is simple, since it does not change, but for the adjective following the word "mála", it is necessary to aspirate the initial consonant and slenderize the last consonant. This is why "mór" becomes "mhóir". The change in pronunciation is usually not extensive, so that you will readily understand the spoken word here. You will need some practice before you can make the change easily yourself.

Grammar Review

Take the verb "bris" (brish), meaning :"break" and go through the present tense aloud: "I break the glass, you break the glass", etc. "Gloine": (GLIN-e), glass, is feminine, "an ghloine" is "the glass". Go through the negative, the questions, and the negative questions. Then verify your work against the key below.

The free form is next: "someone breaks the glass", etc.

The past tense begins, "I broke the glass", etc. The future tense starts with "I will break the glass". Verify these tenses with the key.

go then to the verbal noun: "He is breaking the glass"; Táséag briseadh na gloine. Past and future tenses come next.

Key: Brisim an ghloine (un GLIN-e), briseann túan ghloine. brisimid an ghloine ; níbhrisim ; an mbrisim ; nach mbrisim ?, etc.

Bristear an ghloine; níbhristear ; an mbristear ?; nach mbristear ?

Bhris méan ghloine, bhris túan ghloine, bhriseamar an ghloine, etc; níor bhris méan ghloine, etc; ar bhris méan ? etc; nár bhris méan ghloine? etc.

Briseadh an ghloine; níor bhris méan ghloine, ar briseadh an ghloine?; nár briseadh an ghloine?

Brisfeadh méan ghloine, brisfimid an ghloine, etc; níbrisfidh méan ghloine, etc; anmbrisfidh méan ghloine? etc; nach mbrisidh méan ghloine? etc.

Brisfear an ghloine; níbhrisfear an ghloine; an mbrisfear ?; nach mbrisfear ?

Táséag briseadh na gloine; bhíséag briseadh na gloine' beidh séag briseadh na gloine.