Irish Translation Forum

blixt wrote:

Tanis wrote:I am a tad confused on how a person can learn when it is spoken without translation anyhoo...but I suppose I just wont be included in OT threads if that is what the rules are

Níl aon duine ag déanamh riailacha nua. Ach ní thuigim conas is féidir leat rudaí nua a fhoglaim má tá gach rud as Béarla! Agus ar an taobh eile den scéal, tuigim go bhfuil sé deacair rudaí fada a léamh as Gaeilge. Mar sin, beidh mé ag iarraidh gach rud a scríobh le leagan gonta as Béarla.

No-one is making new rules. My point is no-one's going to learn anything if everything is in English. On the other hand, swathes of Irish can be intimidating for learners. So, I'll be including consise summaries in English.

Redwolf wrote:Going entirely to English here, because my Irish isn't strong enough to convey what I want to say:

Don't be afraid of making mistakes, Maybelline...especially if we're just chatting rather than offering translations. I have always contended that one of the reasons children learn languages so much more easily than adults is that children aren't afraid of being wrong, so they use what they know. When my daughter started learning Spanish in second grade, she would happily use her "cúpla focal" on anyone who would listen, which pleased Spanish speakers to no end. To this day, there is a waiter here in Santa Cruz who will ONLY speak to Johanna in Spanish (even though he has excellent English) because he wants to help her learn.

If a funny story will help: my very first translation attempt here was an utter disaster. Someone was looking for the phrase "burning oak." I figured that would be an easy one, so I looked up the word for "oak" in my dictionary: Dair. Then I looked up "burning." Now, there are a couple of words and phrases that mean "burning," and I chose the first one without thinking about it. Unfortunately, the word I chose, "loiscneach" refers more to a burning, scorching or stinging SENSATION...not to the act of being on fire! I still speak ruefully about giving that poor poster "poison oak"! Fortunately someone else came along and gave a more correct translation.

(To those unfamiliar with it, poison oak is a plant native to the Western U.S. that causes a painfully itchy, burning, weeping rash on something like 80% of the people who come in physical contact with it).

Redwolf

mhwombat wrote:Tá sé deacair do gach duine nach bhfuil liofa fós. Tá sé chomh deacair domhsa an teachtaireacht fáda seo a scríobh agus atá deacair do dhaoine éigin cúpla focal a shcríóbh. Ach sin an chaoi foghlama.

Níor mhaith liom drochmhisneach a chuir ar aon duine. Dá bheadh gach duine an teanga a úsáid de réir a achmhainne, bheadh mé an sásta. Focal ansin, agus focal anseo, i measc an Béarla. An bhfuil a fhios agat ar an abairt "Give 'till it hurts"? Seo an abairt nua: Labhair Gaeilge go gortaíonn sé!

It's difficult for everyone who isn't fluent. It's as difficult for me to write this long message as it is for some people to write a couple of words. But that's how we learn.

I don't want to discourage anyone. If everyone would just use the language according to their ability, I'd be happy. A word here, a word there, in amongst the English. You know the saying "Give 'till it hurts"? Here's a new one: "Speak Irish 'till it hurts!"

I can't believe I just wrote "amongst". And the other day, I said "whilst". What is happening to me?

mhwombat wrote: Labhair Gaeilge go gortaíonn sé!

abigail wrote:
I don't know if I've said this already, but most of the gaelic I know are endearments. won't serve very well in conversation.


Well, just learn some basics
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mhwombat wrote:I'd love that on a T-shirt!

mhwombat wrote:I'd love that on a T-shirt!