"Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom" (My Name is Yu Ming)

Dia daoibh! Watching films is one of the most productive and enjoyable ways to go about picking up a "cúpla focal" in any language - luckily then, for foghlaimeoirí like ourselves, "Bord Scannán na hÉireann" have been feeling particularly generous as of late, resulting in a proliferation of entertaining and useful Irish shorts.

Cue Mr. Ming - Mr. Yu Ming, to be exact, featuring in a heartwarming tale of one migrant worker's struggle with loneliness, alienation, culture shock and, of course, Gaeilge. "Yu Ming is Aimn Dom" is packed full of simple Irish phrases and vocabulary, making it the perfect practice tool for those in search of a "tús maith" - have a read at the transcription and watch the film a couple of times; I guarantee you'll come to class with a few "focail nua"!

POINT OF NOTE: I transcrinbed the Irish from "YMIAD" myself, so there may well be a couple of mistakes! Feel free to drop me a message in the comments section if you find anything that needs to be changed.

Yu Ming is aimn dom.
Cad is ainm duit?
An bhfuil tusa ag labhairt liomsa?
Is mise an t-aon duine anseo.
Ba mhaith liom leaba anseo.
Tá mé ag lorg obair.
Tá brón orm nach bhfuil mo chuid Gaeilge níos fearr.
Tháinig mé go hÉirinn inné.
Suigh síos, a mhac, agus ceannoidh mé deoch duit.
Tháinig mé inné ón tSín.
Agus...an labhraíonn tú Gaeilge?
D'fhoghlaim mé an teanga mar ba mhaith liom bheith i mo chónaí in Éirinn, ach níl mo chuid Gaeilge go maith - ni thuigim, aon ní cad a deirim.. ("I don't understand, no matter what I say..."..this phrase has, rather inexplicably, been translated as "no-one understands what I say").
Chaith mé sé mhí ag foghlaim na Gaeilge, ach ceapaim go botún é - b'fhéidir nár smaoineamh maith é.
Tá Gaeilge níos fearr agat ná an chuid is mó daoine sa thír seo.
Ní thuigim.
Labhraítear béarla anseo.
Béarla, ó shasana.
Ní labhraítear Gaeilge? Ní labhraítear.
Ach ar gach foghra..
Bhuel, tá an teanga ann, ach ní labhraítear í, ach i gcúpla ceantar in Éirinn.
Fáilte romhat Connemara..conas atá sibh?

Ceacht a hAon - Ag Bualadh le Daoine 1

 Ag Bualadh le daoine - meeting people

Ag bualadh - meeting
daoine - people/duine - person
le - with

Conas atá tú? (Standard)
Cad é mar atá tú? (Ulster)
Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? (Connacht, Munster)


How are you?

Tá mé
Táim (Munster)
I am

Tá mé go maith - I'm good
Tá mé go dona - I'm bad
Tá mé go hiontach - I'm wonderful/great
Tá mé go breá - I'm fine
Tá mé tuirseach - I'm tired
Tá mé gnóthach inniu - I'm busy today

Níl me - I'm not e.g. Níl me go dona, agus tusa? I'm not bad, and yourself?

Go raibh maith agat - thanks
Go raibh mile maith agat -  thanks a million (often shortened to "Go raibh mile")

agus - and
tusa - you (emphatic, yourself)

Slán - bye
Slán go foill - bye for now
Slán leat - bye (to person leaving - lit. health with you)
Slán agat bye (to person staying - lit. health at you)

agat, agaibh - at you sing/plural
leat, libh - with you sing/plural