Graiméar na Gaedhilge/Idiomatic Expressions

by Christian Brothers

Idiomatic Expressions.

CUIR.

Cuir ormsa é.		Say it was I did it.
Cuirimse ortsa é.		I say it was you did it.
Cuir umat (ort).		Dress yourself.
Ċuir an tart go mór air.		Thirst annoyed him greatly.
Cuirfeadsa d’ḟiaċaiḃ ort stad.		I’ll make you stop.
Cuir iaċall air é (a) ḋéanaṁ.		Make him do it.
Ná cuir orm ⁊ ní ċuirfead ort.		Don’t interfere with me and I will not interfere with you.
Ċuir sé a rian.		He tracked him (her, them).
Ċuir sé stró orm.	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	He addressed me.
Ċuir sé speic (or furán) orm.
Ċuireas róṁam a ḋéanaṁ.		I resolved to do it.
Tá cur síos (tráċt or iomráḋ) ar an gcogaḋ.		There is talk about the war.
Ċuir sé culaiḋ éadaiġ dá ḋéanaṁ.		He got a suit of clothes made.
Ċuir sé ’na luiġe orm.		He convinced me of it.
Cuir i gcás gur saiġdiúr mise.		Suppose me to be a soldier.
Cuir ar bun.		Established.
Ċuir (ḃain) sé faoi i gCorcaiġ.		He settled down in Cork.
Tá sé ag cup ’s ag cúiteaṁ.		He is debating in his mind.

TAḂAIR.

Taḃair suas.		Surrender.
Tá sé taḃartha.	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	He is played out.
Tá sé buailte suas.
Tá sé tugṫa (taḃarṫa) do’n loċt san.		He is addicted to that vice.
Taḃair do ḋruim leis.		Turn your back to him.
Ṫugas fé ndeár(a) an solas.		I noticed the light.
Tá sé taḃarṫa suas.		He has been given up for dead.
Ṫug sé suas.		He gave in.
Tá taḃarṫa suas aire.		He has given in.
Is deacair fírinne ⁊ éiṫeaċ do ṫaḃairt d’á ċéile.		It is hard to reconcile truth and falsehood.
Tá taḃairt suas mór air.		He is highly educated.

DÉAN.

Déan rud ar do ṁáṫair.		Obey your mother.
Ní ḋéanfaḋ sé rud orm.		He would not oblige me.
Naċ maiṫ naċ ndeárnais féin é!		How well you didn’t do it yourself!
Naċ maiṫ ná déanann tú féin rud ar do ṁáṫair?		Why don’t you obey your mother yourself?
Nuair ṫuigeadar a ḟeaḃas do ḋinis (rinnis) an ḃeart.		When they understood how well you had done the trick.
Déan aire (do) ṫaḃairt dod ġnó féin.	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	Mind your own business.
Déan do ġnó féin.
Taḃair aire dod ġnó féin.
Déan na ba do ċruḋ (ḃleaġan).		Milk the cows.
An ndeárnais an dorus do ḋúnaḋ?		Did you shut the door?
Tá sé ag déanaṁ orainn.		He is coming towards us.

IMṪIĠ.

Conus (cionnus) d’ imṫiġ leis?		How did he get on?
Cad d’ imṫiġ air?	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	What became of him ?
		What happened to him ?
Nuaip ṫuiteann rud mar seo amaċ.		When something like this happens.
Cad imṫeoċas orm?	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	What will become of me ?
(Creud éireoċas dom?)

NÁ.

Dob’ é an ċéad duine do ḃuail uime NÁ Seaġán liaṫ.	The first person he met was Seaġán liaṫ.
Is é rud dob’ ḟearr leis a ḟeiscint NÁ na Sasanaiġ go léir d’á ndíbirt as Éirinn.	What he wished most to see was the banishment of the whole of the English from Ireland.
Is é rud do ṫug anois ċum cainte leat mé NÁ mé ḃeiṫ i gcruaḋ-ċás.	What brought me to talk with you now is the fact that I am in difficulty.
Is é rud do rinne (ḋein) an fear NÁ caiṫeaṁ leo.	What the man did was to throw at them.
Is é rud do ḋein Séamas annsain NÁ í ḃronnaḋ air.	What James did then was to make him a present of it.
Is é rud adeireaḋ gaċ éinne NÁ gur ṁaiṫ air.	What everyone used to say was that it was a great blessing for him.

MÓR.

Is mór le ráḋ é.	It is important.
Is mór le maoiḋeaṁ é.	It is a thing to be proud of, or boast about.
Níor ṁór le ráḋ é.	It was not of much importance.
Ní mór ḋom filleaḋ.	I must return.
Ní mór ḋom gluaiseaċt.	I must take my departure.
Ní mór linn duit.	We have no objection to your doing so.
Ní mór liom ḋó é.	I don’t grudge it to him.
Ní mór naċ (ná go) ḃfuil sé déanta.	It is almost done.
Ní mór ná go mbeiḋ sé críoċnuiġṫe.	It will be nearly finished.
Cá mór dom, &c.?	Why shouldn’t I, &c.? lit., how is it too much for me?
Naċ mór a d’ éiriġ tú!	How grand you have got!
Ní móide (mó + de) go raġad.	It is not likely that I shall go.

BEAG.

Is beag liom é.	I consider it too small.
Is beag orm é.	I don’t like it at all.
Is beag agam é.	I have no great opinion of him.
Is beag an sgéal é.	It’s no great harm. He is not to be pitied.
Is beag an ċaḃair ṫú.	You are not of much use.
Is beág dá ḟiós agat.	’Tis little you know.
Is beag naċ miṫid dó ḃeiṫ ag imṫeaċt.	It is nearly time for him to be going.
Ba ḃeag nár ṁiṫid dó ḃeiṫ ag imṫeaċt.	It was nearly time for him to be going.
Is beag a ḃríġ é.	It is a trifle.
Is beag má tá éinne i n‑Éirinn d’ ḟéadfaḋ é ḋéanaṁ.	There is hardly a person in Ireland who could do it.

Miscellaneous.

An éireoċaiḋ (sé) linn?		Shall we succeed?
Ḃí sé ag éirġe fuar.		It was getting cold.
Maiṫ an áit go raḃais!		Well said! or Well done!
Maiṫ mar ṫárla.		It has happened luckily.
Níor laḃair sé fiú aon ḟocal aṁáin.		He did not speak a single word.
Gan fiú na n‑anála do ṫarraing (ṫarac).		Without even taking breath.
Fiú ár ndaoine féin.		Even our own people.
Tá sé ag dul i ḃfeaḃas.		He is getting better.
Tá sé ag dul i n‑olcas.		He is getting worse.
Abair é!		Hear! hear! Bravo!
Ní cuiṁin liom a leiṫéid.		I don’t remember the like of it.
Ó ṫárla an leaḃar agam anois.		As I happen to have the book now.
Tá sé geall le ḃeiṫ follaṁ	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	It is almost empty.
Tá sé follaṁ naċ mór.
Ní ḟuil dul uaiḋ agat.		You cannot avoid it.
Tá an fear san ag dul i mbeo orm.		That man’s conduct cuts me to the quick.
Tá sé i rioċt báis.	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	He is at the point of death.
Tá sé le h‑uċt báis.)
Is millte(aċ) an sgéal é.		It is a terrible affair.
Is caillte an lá é le fliċe.		It is a terribly wet day.
Sgéal gan daṫ.		A very unlikely story.
Leig (leog) dom féin led’ ċuid cainte.		Don’t annoy me with your talk.
Cad é an ċuid atá agatsa ḋe?		What right (call) have you to it?
An ċuid is luġa ḋe ḋá uair sa mbliaḋain.		At least twice a year.
Corp na h‑éagcóra.		The essence of wrong.
le corp díoṁaoinis.		Through downright laziness.
Tá fmuc de’n ċeart aige.		He is partly right.
Is leaṁ an gnó ḋuit é.		’Tis an absurd thing for you to do.
Cad ’na ṫaoḃ ná ceannuiġeann tú bróga ḋuit féin? Gan an t‑airgead do ḃeiṫ agam.		Why don’t you buy boots for yourself? Because I have not the money.
Tá sé ar nós cuma liom.		He is indifferent.
Cé tá ar ár dtí?		Who is intending us harm?
Tá sé ar do ṫí.		He is bent on attacking you. He intends to harm you.
Daoine náċ mé.		Others besides myself.
Ḃí cead saor aige ar ḋul.		He had permission to go.
Is dual aṫar dó.		He has it from his father.
Ḃí mo ṫuras i n‑aisdear.		My journey was in vain.
Ċa leigeann tú a leas.		You need not.
Gogaille gó.		A fool’s errand; a wild goose chase.
Beiḋ san ’na ṁasla ⁊ ’na ġuṫ ar a gclú an dá lá ’s an ḟaid a ḃeiḋ grian sa spéir.		That will be a reproach and a blot on their fame the longest day the sun will be in the sky.
Tá sé beagán fuar.		It is a little cold.
Tá sé roinnt boḋar.		He is somewhat deaf.
Tá sé gan ḃeiṫ ar ḟóġnaṁ,		He is a little unwell.
Ní ḟuil an t‑uḃall so aibid i gceart.		This apple is not quite ripe.
Ní cúrsaiḋe gáiriḋe é.		It is nothing to laugh at.
Do ġáirfá, mura mbeaḋ naċ cúis ġáiriḋe é.		You would laugh only that it is not a matter to laugh at.
Ní cúrsaiḋe cainte é.		It is nothing to talk about.
Tarraing ċuġat rud éigint eile mar cúrsaiḋe magaiḋ.		Find something else to make fun about.
Cad é an gnó atá agat de?		What do you want it for?
Do baineaḋ iarraċt de ġeit as.		He was slightly startled.
Ní ḟuil aon ġar ag dréim leis an mballa.		There’s no use trying to get up on the wall.
Ní raibh aon ṁaiṫeas ’na ġlór.		In vain did he cry (talk, speak).
Ní móide gur sgríoḃ sé an litir.		Perhaps he did not write the letter.
Gaḃaim lem’ ais sin do ḋéanaṁ.		I propose to do that.
Tá buiḋeaċas agam ort (fé)	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	I am thankful to you (for).
Táim buiḋeaċ ḋíot (fé.)
Ḃeirim buiḋeaċas duit mar ġeall (ġioll) air.	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	I thank you for it.
Gaḃaim buiḋeaċas leat mar ġeall air.
Beiḋ tú déanach (déiḋeanaċ) ag an traen.		You will be late for the train.
Beiḋ tú déanaċ ar sgoil.		You will be late for school.
Ḃí cuid aca ġá ráḋ go raiḃ beirṫe (berṫa) ar an mbiṫeaṁnaċ.		Some of them were saying that the rascal was caught.
Éireoċaiḋ a ċroiḋe ar Ḋiarmuid.		It will break Dermot’s heart.
Sgairt siad ar ġáiriḋiḃ.		They burst out laughing.
Munab ort atá an ċaint!		What talk you have! If it isn’t you have the talk.
Luiġ an ċaint go léir ar an matalong a ḃí imṫiġṫe ar Ṡaḋḃ.		The whole conversation turned on the misfortune which had befallen Sive.
Níor imṫiġ orṫa aċt an rud a ḃí tuillte aca.		They only got what they had deserved.
Ṫeip orainn teaċt suas leo.		We failed to overtake them.
Tá sé ag déanaṁ aiṫris ar a ċaint.		He is mimicking his manner of talking.
Tá sé ar an ḃfear is saiḋḃre sa Ṁuṁain.		He is the richest man in Munster.
Is dóċa gur dóiċ leo.		Probably they imagine.
Tá sé buailte isteaċ im aigne.		I am firmly convinced.
Loisgeaḋ iad ’na mbeaṫaiḋ.		They were burnt alive.
Cad adéanfad ċor ar biṫ aige?		What will I do at all with him?
Ḃí breis ṁór ⁊ a gceart aca dá faġáil.		They were getting a great deal more than their right.
Ḃí coróin fé’n bpúnt aca dá ḟaġáil.		They were getting five shillings in the pound.
Ḃí gaċ uile ḋuine ag déanaṁ truaiġ (truaġa) di.		Everyone was sympathising with her.
Coṁnaois do Ṡeaġán an té ba ṡine aca.		The eldest of them was the same age as John.
Ba ḋóiċ leat air gur leis an áit.		You (one) would imagine by him that he owned the place.
Ní raiḃ a ṫuairisg ann.		There wasn’t a trace of him there.
Ċoṁ maiṫ agus dá mba ná raiḃ éagcóir ar biṫ ann.		Just as if it were not wrong.
D’ḟiafruiġ sé cad fé ndeár an sult.		He asked what was the cause of the merriment.
Cé’r a mac ṫú?		Whose son are you?
Ní ṁaiṫfear puinn duit.		You will meet your match.
Ca ḃ’ḟios duit?		How did you know?
A sgéal féin sgéal gaċ éinne.		Everyone is most interested in his own affairs.
Tusa fé ndeár soin.		You are the cause of that.
Tá gnó naċ é agam.		I have a different matter to look after.
Ní taise ḋom féin.		I am no exception; i.e., I am the same as the others.