Vocabulary

Masculine nouns

foirgneamh (FWIR-gi-nuhv), building;árasán, an t-árasán (un TAW*-ruh-saw*n), apartment building

Feminine nouns

monarcha, an mhonarcha (un VWOHN-uhr-huh), factory; saortharlann, an tsaortharlann (un TAY*-uhr-luhn), laboratory

feictear dom (FEK-tuhr duhm), it seems to me

gurb ea (GUR-ruhb a), that it is; nach ea (nahk* a), that it is not

DRILL

Feictear dom go bhfuil sésa scoil (goh vwil shay* suh skuhl), It seems to me that he is in school.

Feictear dom gur nuachtáné(gur NOO-uhk*-taw*n ay*), It seems to me that it is a newspaper.

Feictear dom gurb ea, It seems to be that it is.

Feictear dom nach foirgneamhésin, It seems to me that that is not a building.

Feictear dom nach ea, It seems to me that it isn't.

Nífheictear dom gurb ea (nee EK-tuhr duhm GUR-ruhb a), It doesn't seem to me that it is.

Feictear dom go n-aontaítear leis (goh NAY*N-tee-tuhr lesh), It seems to me that people agree with him.

Feictear dom nach dtuigtear an t-ábhar sin (nahk* DIG-tuhr un TAW*-vwuhr shin), it seems to me that that subject is not understood.

Make use of "feictear dom" with these verbs, in the affirmative (with "go") form and negative ("nach") form: críochnaigh (KREE-uhk*-nee), finish; deisigh (DESH-ee), repair; clois (klish), hear; glan (gluhn), clean.

Add nouns to the sentences, too, such as "obair", "carr" or "bord".

Irish Lesson 68

PRONUNCIATION REVIEW

Pronounce the sound for an "m" which is near "a", "o", or "u" with your lips out and rounded. Practice on: má(maw*), if; mór (mohr), big; múnla (MOON-luh), a mold; muc (muk), pig; mac (mahk), son; maith (mah), good; molaim (MUHL-im), I praise; mná(muh-NAW*), women.

Inside a word or at a word end:

cumann (KU-muhn), a society; plámás (PLAW*-maw*s), flattery; cam (koum), crooked;ómósach (OH-moh-sahk*), respectful; bromach (BRUH-muhk*), colt; taom (tay*m), a fit.

When the nearest vowel in the word is "e" or "i", pronounce the "m" with lips in close to the teeth and spread slightly sideways, as in a faint smile.

Practice on:

mé(may*), I; mín (meen), smooth; meirg (MER-rig), rust; minic (MIN-ik), often.

Inside a word or at a word end:

bím (beem), I be; céim (kay*m), a step, degree: réimir (RAY-mir), a prefix; cime (KI-me), a captive; aimsir (EYEM-sheer), season; sméar (smay*r), berry

Grammar

The free form of saorbhriathar (say*r-VREE-huhr) for "tá" is "táthar" (TAW*-huhr). Here is an example to show you its use:

"Tásíag rith" (uh ri) means "she is running".

"Táthar ag rith" means "Someone is running" or "People are running".

Another example is:

"Tásiad ag léamh an leabhair" (uh lay*v un LOU-wir), meaning "They are reading the book". "Táthar ag léamh an leabhair" means "The book is being read" or "People are reading the book".

The negative for "táthar" is "níltear" (NEEL-tuhr), and an example of its use is "Níltear ag siúl" (uh shool), meaning "No one is walking".

Questions can be asked by means of "an bhfuiltear" (un VWIL-tuhr) or "nach bhfuiltear". For example, "An bhfuiltear ag léamh an leabhair sin?" is "Are people reading that book?"

These forms can serve in indirect speech, too.

"Deir Seán go bhfuiltear ag siúl" is "John says that people are walking". Sometimes the free form is in the first part of a sentence like this. An example is "Feictear dom go bhfuiltear ag caitheamh tobac" (uh KAH-huhv toh-BAHK), which is "It seems to me that people are smoking".