We all know you really mean 'superior' list!

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Here are some of the phrases I give to my students for the Leaving Cert Oral Irish exam:

Ceart go leor
Fair enough / Okay

Ar an gcéad dul síos
First of all

Ar an dara dul síos
Secondly

An dtuigeann tú?
Do you understand? [ but used as a throwaway phrase like ‘ya know’]

Is deacair a rá
It’s hard to say

Níl a fhios agam dáiríre
I don’t know really

Braitheann sé
It depends

Cá bhfios?
Who knows?

B’fhéidir é
Perhaps

N’fheadar
‘I dunno’ / I wonder / let me think

Go bhfios dom
That I know of / to the best of my knowledge

Chomh fada agus is eol dom
As far as I know

Mar is eol duit
As you know

Tá a fhios ag an saol / Tá a fhios ag gach mac máthar / Tá a fhios ag madraí (nó cait) an bhaile
Everyone knows

Ar ndóigh / dar ndóigh
Of course

Gan amhras / gan dabht ar bith
Without a doubt

Ní féidir a shéanadh (go/nach)
One cannot deny (that)

Caithfear a admháil (go/nach)
It must be admitted (that)

Is dóigh liom (go/nach)
I reckon (that)

Dar liom
In my opinion

I mo thuairim
In my opinion

Sé mo bharúil (go/nach)
It is my opinion (that)

De réir mo bharúla
In my opinion

Ceapaim / Sílim (go/nach)
I think (that)

Chuile sheans
Every chance (likelihood)

Pé scéal é / ar aon nós / ar aon chaoi / ar aon chuma / ar chaoi ar bith
Anyway

De ghnáth
Usually

Chun an fhírinne a rá
To tell the truth

Cuir i gcás / cuirim i gcás / tóg mar shampla
Take for example

Is fíor sin
That’s true

Ní fíor sin in aon chor
That’s not true at all

Ó am go ham / ó am go chéile / anois is arís
From time to time/now and then

Nuair a bhíonn an deis agam
When I have the opportunity

Cinnte, a dhuine uasail
Certainly sir/madam [doesn’t sound quite so stilted in Irish]

Gabh mo leithscéal, níor chuala mé an cheist i gceart
Excuse me, I didn’t hear the question properly

Ní thuigim an cheist
I don’t understand the question

An bhféadfá an cheist a chur arís, le do thoil?
Could you ask the question again please?

Is ceist dheacair í sin / Sin ceist dheacair
That’s a difficult question

Ceist chonspóideach í sin
That’s a contentious question

Aontaím leat
I agree with you

Sa lá ata inniu ann
Nowadays

Le cúnamh Dé
Please God / with God’s help