We need a smiley that shudders..... Until then, this will have to do...

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Good thing you asked Gumbí, I was wondering about that myself.


I'd say "a chara mór" -great friend
or possibly "a chomrádaí" - comrade


When I was going to school girls did refer to themselves as lads, but I think that is fairly modern usage. Maybe use "cailíní" (girls)

"Mum" is VERY British English. I use the American English "Mom" when writing in English as that is closer to the Irish pronunciation.
Other common variations are - Ma, Mammy, Mam, Da, Daide (Irish), Mama (Irish).

Teacher - I agree with Breandán to use Máistir for a man.

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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Oops, cara buan, of course. Thanks, Gumbi. Fixed above.


cailíní "girls", vocative a chailíní.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

You all are FANTASTIC! The information you've given me is perfect!

And oye, I love my country but some of our celebrities make me wanna pretend I'm from somewhere else. Such a bummer that a lot of the world knows us for our ridiculous people! hahaha I hope the younger Irish generation doesn't try too hard to imitate them! I love the way the Irish speak. They always sound so happy. And I've found that almost every Irish person I've met is hilarious! And I love when I was in Dublin, in order to explain where my dad lives, I would say "By the Graduate Pub" and everyone would know what I was talking about. LOL

I hope you all will let me ask more questions as my book progresses. Thank you again, so much!

Chase

Feel free to ask any time - we thrive on it.


@translators - I just happened upon a dheartháir dílis as the vocative of deartháir dílis. Is it a mistake to lenite dílis in the vocative of cara dílis as well?

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

From Réchúrsa Gramadaí:

I gcás focail mhuirneacha atá firinscneach ní infhilltear an t-ainmfhocal agus ní shéimhítear an aidiacht sa ghairmeach: a stóirín ban; a bhéal cumhra; a cheann dubh dílis.

Go raibh maith agat, a Scooby. Ceartóidh mé é thuas freisin.

(Scooby has confirmed that it should be a chara dílis)

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Thank you Breandán!

And what does a chara dílis mean exactly? I know its the vocative form and I think, from understand previous posts, it means dear friend or something similar. I just want to make sure I use the correctly type of words. I don't want to express that he's trying to call the person his romantic soul mate or anything.

Also, how would you pluralize a chara dílis?

cara is "friend"
dílis is "true, genuine, reliable, solid, dear"

Adjectives come after the noun in Irish.


Cara dílis "true/dear friend" becomes cairde dílse "true/dear friends" in the plural and a chairde dílse in the vocative plural.

(As always, wait for correction or confirmation.)

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).