Happy new year ?

flynnboy

Hi

Could someone please tell me how to say Happy new year ?

I know how to say 'thank you' but could you also tell me how to say:

"thank you very much for the presents" ?

and how about "she is going to Derry"

Thanks everyone

littlecat

Hi,

I'm not a "real" Irish speaker so you'll no doubt get something more reliable than this!!:

Happy New Year - Le gach dea-ghuí i gcomhair na hAthbhliana (with every good wish/prayer for the new year)

Thank you for the presents - Go raibh maith agat (or go raibh maith agaibh for plural) as ucht na bronntanais.

She is going to Derry - Tá sí ag dul go Doire.

Maybe wait for someone else to reply for something more accurate, but they'll definitely understand the above I read in another post that you're English and learning Irish from scratch - that's great - I've wondered what it's like when you haven't been brought up with it, keep up the good work!!

flynnboy

Hi Littlecat

Thanks for that. I am happy to say I was quite close with the Derry one but a little way out on the others..... ah well, some progress there at least.

Thanks very much for your encouragement.

Go raibh maith agat agus Le gach dea-ghuí i gcomhair na hAthbhliana

littlecat

Couldn't have put it better myself

Go raibh maith agat, gurab amhlaidh duit.

Micilin Muc

flynnboy wrote: »

Could someone please tell me how to say Happy new year ?

Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit
Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit

They are the two most common ways of saying Happy New Year!

flynnboy

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit
Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit

They are the two most common ways of saying Happy New Year!

Thank you MM. Would you mind telling me how they tanslate ?

littlecat

"Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit" is a prosperous new year to you, not sure about the faoi shéan bit?

Micilin Muc

littlecat wrote: »

"Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit" is a prosperous new year to you, not sure about the faoi shéan bit?

"Faoi shéan" has the same meaning as "faoi mhaise", ie prosperous. The repeating of nouns and adjectives is a very common feature of Early Modern Irish (circa 13th to 17th century). For example, in the Early Modern Irish text of Tóruigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne, you have

"... óir atáim lé bliadhuin gan mhnaoi gan bhainchéile ...".

It serves to reinforce the message.

flynnboy

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit
Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit

Would anyone care to write this phonetically for me ?

Micilin Muc

flynnboy wrote: »

Would anyone care to write this phonetically for me ?

Ahh-vleen fwee washah ditch
Ahh-vleen fwee hane iss fwee washah ditch

flynnboy

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Ahh-vleen fwee washah ditch
Ahh-vleen fwee hane iss fwee washah ditch

Brilliant. Thanks again for all of your help, it is very much appreciated.

Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise daoibh

flynnboy

Hi again guys.

If I wanted to say "Did you have a good Xmas?" Would that be along the lines of "Was it a Xmas good you had "? If so would that be something like:

Bhi se Nollaig maith/shona ata agat ?

littlecat

Hi again,

Closest to your sentence is "Bhí Nollaig shona/maith agat?" or "Nollaig shona/maith a bhí agat?" meaning "You had a good Christmas?". "Bhí sé" means "it was" so the sé is unnecessary there, also atá is present tense, a bhí being past tense.

"Did you have...?" would be "An raibh... agat?" so - "An raibh Nollaig maith/shona agat?"

You could also say "Ar bhain tú/sibh taitneamh as an Nollaig?" meaning "Did you enjoy Christmas?" or literally did you get enjoyment from Christmas. Pronounced "Err vwin too/shiv tanniv".

As always, your effort is excellent and perfectly understandable! I'm using this as practise for myself too, having not used Irish regularly for over 10 years, so thanks! And apologies to the likes of Micilín Muc who I'm probably driving demented with my basic language

One other point - I have Munster Irish and yours is Donegal so there may be some differences, though I think anything I've said so far is common to all dialects - pronunciation could be different.

flynnboy

littlecat wrote: »

Hi again,

Closest to your sentence is "Bhí Nollaig shona/maith agat?" or "Nollaig shona/maith a bhí agat?" meaning "You had a good Christmas?". "Bhí sé" means "it was" so the sé is unnecessary there, also atá is present tense, a bhí being past tense.

"Did you have...?" would be "An raibh... agat?" so - "An raibh Nollaig maith/shona agat?"

You could also say "Ar bhain tú/sibh taitneamh as an Nollaig?" meaning "Did you enjoy Christmas?" or literally did you get enjoyment from Christmas. Pronounced "Err vwin too/shiv tanniv".

As always, your effort is excellent and perfectly understandable! I'm using this as practise for myself too, having not used Irish regularly for over 10 years, so thanks! And apologies to the likes of Micilín Muc who I'm probably driving demented with my basic language

One other point - I have Munster Irish and yours is Donegal so there may be some differences, though I think anything I've said so far is common to all dialects - pronunciation could be different.

Go raibh mile maith agat aris !

Aard

Hope this isn't too late!


I second the "Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit" for "Happy new year". It's the one I use, and the one I've heard most often.


For "Did you have a good Christmas?", I agree with Littlecat - "Ar bhain sibh taitneamh as an Nollaig" sounds more natural. If it were me, I'd use "sult" instead of "taitneamh" in this case. I'm not sure why exactly, it just sounds better to my ears!

flynnboy

Aard wrote: »

Hope this isn't too late!


I second the "Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit" for "Happy new year". It's the one I use, and the one I've heard most often.


For "Did you have a good Christmas?", I agree with Littlecat - "Ar bhain sibh taitneamh as an Nollaig" sounds more natural. If it were me, I'd use "sult" instead of "taitneamh" in this case. I'm not sure why exactly, it just sounds better to my ears!

It's never too late Aard Thanks .

Okay guys so what is this one : "Blian úr mhaith duit" ? and this one "Le Meas" ?

craoltoir

A good new year

With respect

flynnboy

craoltoir wrote: »

A good new year

With respect

Hmmmm, I just get more confused.... so what is the difference between Athbhliain.... and Blian ur..... ?

craoltoir

Bliain úr would be what they say in the northern part of the country.

Ath would be the later or after year ie following year, if that makes it any clearer.

flynnboy

craoltoir wrote: »

Bliain úr would be what they say in the northern part of the country.

Ath would be the later or after year ie following year, if that makes it any clearer.

Ah yes, that would explain it as I am in Donegal.:) Go raibh mile maith agat