OK, selfish question here.

In English we might say "I'm going shoe shopping" or "I'm going clothes shopping."

Tomorrow I'm going car shopping (my beloved Gaelcharr has made his last road trip (sob!)...ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam!), and I need to know how to express that to the conversation group whose meeting I'm missing tomorrow.

It's not enough to say "I'm buying a car," because I may not buy a car tomorrow. I'm looking. I could say "Beidh mé ag lorg carra," but that kind of sounds like I'm just wandering around looking for one rather than shopping with the intent of buying.

Help?

Redwolf

I think in Connemara you would say:

Beidh mé ag goil (= gabháil = dul) ag ceannach carr amáireach. "I will be going to buy a car tomorrow." (GC)

This means to "go with the intention of buying" but you may not necessarily complete the action.

Ceannóidh mé carr amáireach. (GC) has the nuance of definiteness of the English "I am buying/will be buying a car tomorrow".

Await further input ...

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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).

Mmm, what about "Is féidir go gceannó(cha)idh mé carr amárach" ?
I don't see how you can express the fact that "you'll see cars with the intention of buying one without being sure you'll find the good one" in Irish... Even in other languages I don't see, I'd always say "I'll go and look at cars and maybe I'll buy one", or "tomorrow I'd like to buy a car"...

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Beadsa air thór cairr amáireach

Raghad air thóir cairr amáireach

Unless you were a gard or a police officer looking for a suspect car I think that this is enough to imply that you are looking for a car with the intent on buying one.

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

Bhuel, tá sé "moot," mar a deirtear...cheannaigh mé carr nua (bhuel, nua domhsa): 2011 Nissan Altima! Tá sé go hálainn!

GRMA!

Redwolf

Can't vouch for the other dialects, but these would be feminine in colloquial Irish in Connemara, as machines are feminine by default.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam ! (GC)

Tá sí go hálainn ! (GC)

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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).

Ah, ach is buachaill é. "Ripley" is ainm dó.

Redwolf

Believe it or not! (This only makes sense if you know the programme Ripley's Believe it or Not!)

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I remember that programme.

But then there is the other Ripley, from Alien.

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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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Or the museums! (we have one in San Francisco...seriously weird place!)

Bríd...I'd forgotten about Ripley being Sigourney Weaver's character in Alien!

Our car-buying foray yesterday almost didn't end well. I was test-driving a different Altima (a black one), and we were driving along the 280 at about 65 mph when we were rear-ended by some moron in an SUV! I hit the hazard lights and pulled over, but the SUV didn't stop, and we weren't able to get his plate number. Sadly, the little black Altima was badly damaged...we were able to drive it back to the dealership, but the trunk was buckled, and I'm sure it has frame damage. We're just lucky he hit us where he did. If he'd been a little forward, he'd have done a PIT manuever and we'd have spun out, or possibly rolled. As it was, Tony's neck was badly jarred, and the salesman chipped a tooth, but it could easily have been much, much worse.

Redwolf