Bonsoir,
I've been looking at the Siopa Gaeilge site and my eye caught this - a poster of Irish Idioms - Help your Irish sound more naturel is what it says (I only speak Béarlachas, of course)
Nathanna cainte as Gaeilge! Cuir barr fearbhais ar do chuid Gaeilge leis na nathanna. Beidh sí níos blasta dá bharr! - but they only show one side of it, so if anyone's got it, I'd like to know what's on the other side, if you wouldn't mind. The other problem I have is that these expressions are so idiomatic that even if I can get round to understanding the words, knowing what they mean put together is another challenge, shall we say. (In French we say - that's another pair of sleeves - not mountains, just the sleeves you'd find on a shirt, you understand)
Here goes (on y va)
Ní fhaca mé le haois gadhair thú - (and there's me thinking the word for a dog was madra! I don't understand what I didn't see about you, a dog and how old it is)
Tá mé bánaithe - I'm whitened??? - how did that happen when I wasn't looking? or is it devastated?
Níl dé air (I have no idea of what that could mean)
An bhfuil tú á iarraidh? Are you asking (him or her?)
N' fheadar ambaiste! - I didn't know indeed! - is that it?
Táim préachta leis an bhfuacht (ah - here's one I can understand - I'm freezing with the cold)
Tá sé ag stealladh báistí - It's pouring down (with rain - it's persisting down) (two points please)
Is cuma liom sa diabhal ( I don't care - but what's the devil got to do with it?)
Tá áthas an domhain orm - I'm happy in the deep? or deeply happy?
Táim á iarraidh - (I'm asking him or her?)
Níl a fhios agam beo - (I don't know life or I don't know for the life of me?)
Cuireann sé soir mé - He puts me East (I imagine it's a girl speaking but what's he doing to her?)
Tá mé stiúgtha leis an ocras - I'm perished with hunger
(Dala an scéal - I'd like to know how you put this in Irish - he was well nigh falling with hunger - apparently this is Irish Gaelic transposed into Irish English)
Táim spalptha (sic) leis an tart - I'm parched with the thirst
Go bhfóire Dia orainn - God help us (but I thought help was cuidiú)
Tá an ghráin dearg agam air - (disgust is red?)
Níl sé thar mholadh beirte (he's not above praising two people? - or the both of them? I don't understand this one at all)
Tá mé mór leat - I'm big on you? (it sounds as if it should be on a T-léine)
Tá mé spréachta leat - I don't know what it means but it sounds dangerous)
Tá an áit ina phraiseach - the place is in a mess
Tá mé tugtha - I'm exhausted (but I'm sure it means more than that)

Some of these I’m not instantly familiar with (I’d probably recognise them in a context, but out of context, I’m not feeling them). A few I can give you pointers for, though:



It’s like in English, “I haven’t seen you in donkey’s years” = I haven’t seen you in ages


It’s more like the latter. It can be a variety of things, from ‘desolate’, ‘devastated’, ‘knackered’ … depends a lot on the context, and perhaps dialect too (not sure).


“Are you needing it?” or “Are you looking for it?” or “Are you trying to do it?” (perhaps other meanings as well?)


“I don’t give a rat’s arse” = I really don’t care


“I have the happiness of the world on me” = I’m exceedingly happy


The latter.


I think this is another one that’s very dependent on context. I’ve heard it used to mean something like ‘this completely baffles me’ in some contexts, but most commonly, it means ‘it drives me mad’ (literally ‘it drives me east’).


Fóir is more ‘provide for’, so “May God provide for us”.


Yup, in the same way that people can see red (with anger) or be blue in the face (from exertion), etc.

(Note: an ghráin dhearg; gráin is feminine)


“It’s not above the praise of two people”. It’s semantically very convoluted (I’ve never quite managed to figure it out exactly, either), but the meaning is simple enough: “It’s nothing to write home about”.


Haha. No, it just means “I like you” or “I get along well with you”.


Being ‘sparked’ I believe means to be pissed off with someone.


Note: tá an áit ina praiseach (áit is feminine)

_________________
Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

Just to add to what kk has given you, sa diabhal, beo, an domhain, etc., are simply emphasizers that don't change the meaning of the sentence. Some of them make sense translated into English (though perhaps not into other languages) and some of them don't.

_________________
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).

Go raibh maith agaibh - as for the spelling mistakes - it's always useful to be corrected, but I was only copying what is on the poster, and it's what they put up in classrooms, so........

Tá sé sin suas ar an mballa sa seomra súgartha in ár dteach agus scríobh m'iníon an fhocal 'níl' thar 'tá' mar dúirt sí nach raibh an áit ina phraiseach mar chuir sí slacht ar an seomra cúpla nóiméad roimhe sin!

_________________

The first one seems to be more a translation from English, we say: I haven't seen you in a dog's age

By the way, here it is -
http://www.siopagaeilge.ie/products/Pos ... t16-29.htm

And there's one I missed out - Téigh ag feadaíl - (to go whistling?)

That's what I'd say too.



I'm broke - I don't have any money.


you can use it with smoke or light for a little or none of either.
Níl dé ar an lampa seo. There isn't any light on this lamp (or very dim), battery gone etc.
Níl dé sa tine. The fire has gone out, no embers.


That's right. Stealladh can be used for urinating too.


I want it.


That is how it is said in standard anyhow. But we pronounce that as "scrútaí" in Conamara. (Breandán will have the correct spelling)


Yes. But that is Munster I think.


Yes, and out of breath.


Like Koko said - I like you; I am friends with you.


It/he drives me nuts. Or something that is very frustrating.

Téigh ag feadaíl - (to go whistling?)
= that's right. Go whistle for it. No point in asking you are not going to get it.

_________________
___________________________________________________________

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.
___________________________________________________________

scrúdta (from scrúd "to try severely, test, torment") would be pronounced like scrútaí in Connemara.

FGB also has scrúdta ag an ocras, though I'd say ag and le would be interchangeable here.

_________________
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).