“Ah sure I don’t have a word of Irish” is one of those throwaway phrases we hear regularly about an Ghaeilge. My response to this is to challenge them to think about it and they normally have lots of Irish; hundreds of words in fact, and can put basic sentences together.
If you studied Irish through school and think you have forgotten it all you might just surprise yourself by having a read of the list below. I bet you will know most of them if not all:
- Tá
- Níl
- mé
- tú
- sé
- sí
- agus
- isteach
- amach
- dia duit
- fáilte
- beag
- mór
- nua
- sásta
- brón
- grá
- mná
- fir
- cailín
- buachaill
- bia
- bainne
- siúcra
- uisce
- tae
- caifé
- bricfeasta
- cáca milis
- cupán
- milseán
- Conas atá tú?
- Go maith
- go raibh maith agat
- slán
- abhaile
- craic
- sláinte
- lá
- seachtain
- lámh
- bróg
- súil
- béal
- croí
- fiacla
- hata
- geansaí
- aon
- do
- trí
- ceathar
- cúig
- sé
- seacht
- ocht
- naoi
- Gaeilge
- Béarla
- Éire
- raidió
- teilifís
- liathróid
- bainisteoir
- ticéad
- dearg
- bán
- dubh
- glas
- gorm
- oráiste
- nuacht
- aimsir
- sneachta
- fliuch
- Garda Síochána
- An Post
- scoil
- coláiste
- Taoiseach
- Tánaiste
- Dáil
- pictiúrlann
- snámh
- rith
- leaba
- doras
- fuinneog
- leithreas
- bosca
- brúscar
- ceol
- leabhar
- siopa
- rothar
- tacsaí
- bóthar
- cnoc
- madra
- capall
So how did you get on? Let me know in the comments below!
Now all you need to do is start making sentences with them and you will be back speaking Irish in no time! Be positive about the language, try out your “cúpla focal” – you would be surprised how fast it comes back to you!
Aodhán
A big thank you to my guinea pigs who tried out the list above- I even asked some people who had never studied Irish in school and they knew most words
with ‘cúpla focal’ that comes to 102
very good! only a few i didn’t know……..great website aodhán!
Tuigim 97! Now I have to look up the 3 I didn’t know!
Lean leis…
I knew most of them, and I only started learning last year
bog, oifig, muc, ród, cogaslann, práta, gob.
Tá uimhir a 81 mícheart!
an greannmhar!!
go raih maith agut a chara ni thiguim focal amhain cén fà bruscar????
Understand most of those words. Thanks.
ask most people and they will say irish was beat into them in school so its in there all you need is a chance to use it which are few and far between unless you have kids or grand kids in school ,go raibh maith agut mo chairde, agus slan go foil
Suíomh iontach! Bhain mé an taitneamh as an alt sin a léamh- bhí an-chuid fírinne ag baint leis! Sionainn, 15
98/100
98 de 100
Knew them all – Iontasach (?)
Iiontach. Bhí a fhios ar fad iad.
As I’ve been saying for years, if Irish was to be taught in school like foreign students are taught English as a Foreign Language there would be a massive increase in the numbers of people speaking and using Irish but rather than do that we will do the opposite and slowly kill it out through a lack of innovative thinking. Until it’s fun to learn it people can’t be expected to have an interest.
101. Meiricea :0)
got them all…..agus aon focail eile xxx
ceathar (sic)
Le meas,
Seán
* Bail ó Dhia ar an obair
A Chara,
Ní focail iad roinnt mhaith acu siúd, ach an oiread.
S.
Your article “I don’t have a word of Irish”. Sure you do: here’s 100 of them | Aodhán… ag smaoineamh ós ard write very well, thank you share!