(le Róislín)

 

Around Valentine’s Day (Lá Vailintín), we see lots of cards, candies, and decorative items saying “I love you” in English.  Irish has many ways to say this as well, although the actual verb “to love” isn’t usually part of the phrase.  Most of the expressions rely on terms of endearment (téarmaí ceana).

You may remember a blog from a few years ago that offered ten ways to say “I love you” (nasc thíos).  This time we’ll take those same phrases, but with some of the words or parts of the words left out.

If you re-read the blog from 8 Feabhra 2013, of course you’ll have the answers, but we’ll also have some variations here, such as saying “She loves him” or “I love Gráinne,” which were not included in the earlier blog.

See if you can fill in the blanks for the following phrases.  Freagraí agus nótaí faoi fhuaimniú na bhfocal (pronunciation) agus aistriúcháin (translations) focal ar fhocal thíos.  The length of the blanks is not directly related to the number of  letters to be filled in, although shorter blanks indicate a single letter.

1. _____ tú m__ stór. 
2. _____tú m__ stóirín. 
3. _____ t___ mo g__rá. 
4. Is tú mo c__uisl__. 
5. _____ tú mo m__uir__ín. 

6a. Is tú grá geal mo c__roí.

6b. Is í  grá geal mo chroí  ___.

6c. Is ___ Gráinne grá geal mo chroí. 

7. Mo g__rá t__ú!

8a. Tá grá agam d___t.

8b.  Tá grá agam  o__t.

8c. Tá grá agam ar G__ráinne.

8d. Tá grá agam a__r.

8e. Tá grá agam  __o  Shéamas.

8f. Tá grá ag Marley a__  Charlie. 

8g. Tá grá ai__e ar Kim.

8h. Tá grá agai__n  dói____.

8i.  Tá grá ai__e  __irthi.

9. Táim i __grá leat.

9b. Tá sé i  __grá  l__i.

9c. Tá Mickey Mouse i  __grá le Minnie Mouse

9d. Tá Addison i __grá le Madison. 

10. Tá mo c__roí ist__gh iona__.

Bhuel, sin anois agaibh, cleachtadh le neart dóigheanna le “I love you” a rá i nGaeilge.  Tá súil agam go mbeidh siad úsáideach do Lá Vailintín. SGF — Róislín

 

PS (10 Márta 2019): One more way to say “I love you” in Irish: Mo chuach thú!” (lit. You are my tress, curl, ball, bundle, hug, embrace — admittedly, none of the literal translations seem to quite match the sentiment).

Nasc: Deich nDóigh (10 Ways) le ‘I Love You’ a Rá i nGaeilge Posted on 08. Feb, 2013 by róislín in Irish Language (https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/deich-ndoigh-10-ways-le-i-love-you-a-ra-i-ngaeilge/)

Freagraí agus aistriúcháin.  All of these could be translated using “love” as a verb, with slight variations, but a more literal translation is given below.  “Sweetheart” or “beloved” or some other term of endearment could also be used instead of “darling.”

1. Is tú mo stór, you are my darling.
2. Is tú mo stóirín, you are my little darling (more affectionate than diminutive per se)
3. Is tú mo ghrá, you are my love
4. Is tú mo chuisle [KHUSH-luh], you are my pulse. You might recognize this one from the anglicization “Macushla.”
5. Is tú mo mhuirnín [WUR^zh-neen OR VUR^zh-neen], You are my darling. You might recognize this one from the song “Kathleen Mavourneen.”

6a. Is tú grá geal mo chroí [khree], You are the bright love of my heart.

6b. Is í grá geal mo chroí í, She is the bright light of my heart.

6c.  Is í Gráinne grá geal mo chroí, Gráinne is the bright light of my heart.

7. Mo ghrá thú!, You are my love! There’s no actual verb in this phrase.  This seems to be the most commonly used of all of these phrases.
8. Tá grá agam duit, I love you, lit. Love is at me for you.

8b.  Tá grá agam ort, I love you, lit. Love is at me on you.

8c. Tá grá agam ar Ghráinne, I love Gráinne, lit. Love is at me on Gráinne.

8d. Tá grá agam air, I love him, lit. Love is at me on him.

8e. Tá grá agam do Shéamas, I love Séamas, lit. Love is at me for Séamas. 

8f. Tá grá ag Marley ar  Charlie.  Marley loves Charlie, lit. Love is at Marley on Charlie.

8g. Tá grá aige ar Kim, He loves Kim, lit. Love is at him on Kim.

8h. Tá grá againn  dóibh,  We love them, lit. Love is at us for them.

8i.  Tá grá aige uirthi, He loves her, lit. Love is at him on her.

9a. Táim i ngrá leat, I am in love with you.  To pronounce the initial “ng-“, think of it as being attached to the preceding “i,” so it’s like the “-ng-” of “singing” (not like the “ng” of “finger”).

9b. Tá sé i ngrá léi, He is in love with her.

9c. Tá Mickey Mouse i ngrá le Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse is in love with Minnie Mouse.

9d. Tá Addison i ngrá le Madison, Addison is in love with Madison.

10. Tá mo chroí istigh ionat, I love you, lit. My heart is in you, or, even more literally, My heart is inside in you.