'labhairt' nó 'caint'?

Saoirse · **Posted:** Tue 10 Apr 2012 8:07 pm

'Ba mhaith liom labhairt le Máire' = 'I would like to speak to Máire'.

I have heard somewhere, can't remember where, so don't know if it is reliable, that 'caint' is talk and 'labhairt' is speak. They seem to be interchangeable in English or perhaps misused? Anyway, bottom line is I am confident my use of 'labhairt' above is correct, but am unsure about when to use 'caint'.

(By the way, 'saoirse labhartha' means 'freedom of speech'!) :mrgreen:

Braoin · **Joined:** Sat 17 Sep 2011 11:52 pm **Posts:** 460

Saoirse wrote:

'Ba mhaith liom labhairt le Máire' = 'I would like to speak to Máire'.

I have heard somewhere, can't remember where, so don't know if it is reliable, that 'caint' is talk and 'labhairt' is speak. They seem to be interchangeable in English or perhaps misused? Anyway, bottom line is I am confident my use of 'labhairt' above is correct, but am unsure about when to use 'caint'.

(By the way, 'saoirse labhartha' means 'freedom of speech'!) :mrgreen:

Nothing wrong with
Ba mhaith liom caint le Máire
either...
... or
saoirse cainte

... but
Gaeilge labhartha = spoken Irish
an teanga a labhairt = to speak the language

... but pretty much interchangeable in many cases I would say...

Féabar · **Posted:** Wed 11 Apr 2012 3:49 am

For some reason my teacher always discourages the use of "caint". She corrected me many times to use "labhair" so that's about all I use now unless I want to say "chat". Maybe it's an Ulster thing as her people and her Irish are from Toraigh Island. Lughaidh could comment.

Bríd Mhór · **Joined:** Sun 28 Aug 2011 8:29 pm **Posts:** 2982

Labhair mé le Máire.
Bhí mé ag caint le Máire.
Ná bí ag cúl-chaint.

Bhí mé ag caint Béarla leis - sounds odd.
bhí mé ag labhairt Béarla leis.

I don't know what the grammar rules are. You just know when to say which one.
Like Braoin said they are interchangeable.

Mick · **Joined:** Fri 18 Nov 2011 2:27 pm **Posts:** 622

Bríd Mhór wrote:

Bhí mé ag caint Béarla leis - sounds odd.
bhí mé ag labhairt Béarla leis.

How about these:

Bhí mé ag caint as Béarla leis
Bhí mé ag labhairt as Béarla leis

I'm not sure why, but "caint as" seems more natural than "labhairt as."

Bríd Mhór · **Joined:** Sun 28 Aug 2011 8:29 pm **Posts:** 2982

Mick wrote:

Bhí mé ag caint as Béarla leis

That is probably more Donegal or maybe Munster.

I would never say "as Gaeilge / as Béarla"
I'd say - i mBéarla / i nGaeilge

Mick · **Joined:** Fri 18 Nov 2011 2:27 pm **Posts:** 622

I think it's Munster, but it's also the form taught in Galltacht schools, because everything is simpler without the pesky urú. :prof:

Errigal · **Joined:** Fri 09 Sep 2011 2:06 pm **Posts:** 682

Bríd Mhór wrote:

Mick wrote:

Bhí mé ag caint as Béarla leis

That is probably more Donegal No, nay, never. Get a grip o' yerself, woman

or maybe Munster.

I would never say "as Gaeilge / as Béarla"
I'd say - i mBéarla / i nGaeilge Mar a gcéanna i nDún na nGall

Saoirse · **Posted:** Wed 11 Apr 2012 3:54 pm

Who actually says, 'as Gaeilge' in their dialect then? That is what I always said and have only recently started saying, 'i nGaeilge'. Of course, my Irish is school Irish.....

Bríd Mhór · **Joined:** Sun 28 Aug 2011 8:29 pm **Posts:** 2982

Errigal wrote:

Bríd Mhór wrote:

Mick wrote:

Bhí mé ag caint as Béarla leis

That is probably more Donegal No, nay, never. Get a grip o' yerself, woman

or maybe Munster.

I would never say "as Gaeilge / as Béarla"
I'd say - i mBéarla / i nGaeilge Mar a gcéanna i nDún na nGall

It's that dreaded Caighdeán then

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