Learn to read Irish
A short, active path into reading Irish: sound out eight real words before the alphabet, learn to undo séimhiú and urú on sight, put the verb at the front of the sentence, and read a story whose pronunciation and English begin hidden.
Verb lookup: everyday verbs, orders, and “I would like”
- Open this when a verb blocks you; the two stories ahead do not need the tables.
- Verbs are listed in the bare form — which is also the form for an order: Tar anseo!tar un-SHUH“Come here!”.
- The ending -eann makes a statement about what generally happens: Itheann an luchIH-un un lukh.
- ba mhaith liombuh wah lum is the polite “I would like” — and liomlum“with me” is another welded word, like orm.
- The thing you would like to do trails at the end, carrying a little a that softens it.
You do not need this section to finish. Open it when a verb in a book stops you, or when you want to say what you would like rather than only read it. The verbs the two stories need were given in the sections before this one.
Everyday verbs, and verbs of moving
| English | Irish | Said |
|---|---|---|
| eat | ith | ih |
| drink | ól | ohl |
| sleep | codail | KOD-il |
| find | faigh | fy |
| give | tabhair | TOW-ir |
| take | tóg | tohg |
| help | cabhraigh | KOW-ree |
| go | téigh | tchay |
| come | tar | tar |
| run | rith | rih |
| walk | siúil | SHOO-il |
| fly | eitil | ET-chil |
| fall | tit | tchitch |
| say | abair | AB-ir |
| ask | fiafraigh | FEE-uh-free |
| hear | clois | klish |
| think | ceap | kyap |
| know | tá a fhios agam | taw iss AH-gum |
| will (the future ending) | -faidh, -fidh | -hee |
The future ending is only for recognising: Beidh mé anseo.beh may un-SHUH“I will be here.” and Rachaidh an madra go dtí an choill.RAKH-ee un MOD-ruh guh JEE un KHWIL“The dog will go to the wood.” The “know” line is not a verb at all. Irish says “the knowledge of it is at me” — agamAH-gum“at me” is a welded word like orm — so “I do not know” is Níl a fhios agam.neel iss AH-gum.
Four small words
| English | Irish | Said |
|---|---|---|
| to | go dtí | guh JEE |
| from | ó | oh |
| in | i, sa | ih, suh |
| on | ar | err |
i eclipses what follows it and sa, which is i and an welded together, softens it instead.
The mouse eats.
Itheann an luch.
IH-un un lukh.
Verb first: Itheann then an luch. The ending -eann is what makes it a statement about what generally happens.
I would like to drink water. — Give me the water, please.
Ba mhaith liom uisce a ól. Tabhair dom an t-uisce, le do thoil.
buh wah lum ISH-kuh uh OHL. TOW-ir dum un TISH-kuh, leh duh hil.
Word for word: would-be good with-me water to drink. The thing you want to do comes last, carrying its little a. The second sentence is an order, so the bare verb goes at the front.
Can you help me?
An féidir leat cabhrú liom?
un FAY-jur lat KOW-roo lum?
“Can” is built the same welded way: Is féidir liomiss FAY-jur lum“I can” is “it is possible with me”. Notice you are helped with rather than helped directly.