I want to get a tattoo that represents my dogs & was thinking about getting a paw print & then the words "Best Friend" beside it but I would like "Best Friend" to be in Irish Gaelic, or for the experts out there, would the Irish folk use "Best Mate" or another phrase referring to their dogs?

My friend is also wanting to get a tattoo in Irish Gaelic that means "We Are What We Do" could you all help her translate this phrase too?

Thanks y'all

For "Best Friend," I think I would use either "dlúthchara," or "cara mo chléibh." Do wait for more input on that, though.

The other is going to be a bit wordier in Irish than it is in English. My first stab would be something like:

Is ionann muid agus na rudaí a dhéanann muid

But that's both bulky and very literal...I'm sure someone else can come up with something better.

Wait for more.

Redwolf

Thx Redwolf...I really appreciate it

Those are nice.

I notice focloir.ie has cara dílis an duine for "man's best friend", so perhaps Cara Dílis "Best Friend" would work too. Cairde Dílse "Best Friends" for the plural.


That works grammatically.

Perhaps it could be shortened to:

Is ionann muid agus a ndéanaimid "We are what we do"

Be sure to wait for confirmation or correction on that ...

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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).

Cara mo chléibhe... I think? Not certain Redwolf, but I think that is correct.

Nope. Redwolf is correct. The nominative is cliabh "bossom", and the genitive is cléibh.

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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).

..fair enough Breandán, but "cléibhe" has to be a genitive of some sort. It sounds right. That and my old Irish teacher taught us this expression.

According to Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, the genitive singular of cliabh can be cléibh OR cléibhe so you're both right.

Just curious – which dialect did your old Irish teacher speak, Rossaí?

There were two significant ones in the early days, but the guy I'm referring to spoke Gaoluinn na Leabhar, spiced up with West Kerry. He was a great scholar, mind. By the time I got back to the school he had his PhD.

Wow, it's great that you've had actual teachers! I'd give somebody their weight in gold if they would teach me Gaolainn na Mumhan.