EXACT MATCHES
IN FOCLÓIR GAEILGE—BÉARLA
bí1, f. (gs. ~). Pitch, resin. S.a. ola1.
bí2, s. & a. (Lit. gs. of beo1,2). Ar feadh mo bhí, all my life. Mac Dé Bhí, the Son of the Living God.
bí3, substantive v. (pres: tá, aut. táthar, rel. atá, rel. aut. atáthar, neg. níl, aut. níltear, dep. bhfuil, aut. bhfuiltear; pres. hab: bíonn, aut. bítear; p: bhí, aut. bhíothas, dep. raibh, dep. aut. rabhthas; p. hab: bhíodh, aut. bhítí; fut: beidh, aut. beifear, rel. bheas; cond: bheadh, aut. bheifí; pres. subj:raibh, aut. rabhthar; vn. bheith. S.a. beite1). Be. 1. Exist. (a) An Té a bhí agus atá (agus a bheas go brách), He who was and is (and always will be). Tá fear is fearr ná tú, there is a better man than you. Tá daoine a deir (go), there are people who say (that). Ní raibh aon duine nach bhfaca é, there was no one who did not see him. Ní raibh mé riamh nach ndéanfainn é, I was always able, willing, to do it. Bhí lá agus dhéanfainn é, there was a day when I could do it. Lá dá raibh, in days gone by. Níl dochar labhairt leo, it is no harm to speak to them. Bheadh aoibhneas lá a chaitheamh ann, it would be delightful to spend a day there. Ní raibh maith a bheith leis, it was no use talking to him. Bhí go maith (go), all went well (until). (b) (With adverb ann) Tá Dia ann, God exists. Tá an t-am ann, the time has come. Bhí aimsir mhaith ann, the weather was good. Bhíodh comórtais ann, competitions used to be held. Mar a bheadh éan ann, like a bird. An lá atá inniu ann, the present day. S.a. ann1. 2. (Of condition, position)(a) (With adjective) Bheith mór, beag, óg, aosta, to be big, small, young, old. Bíodh sé maith nó olc, be it good or bad. Má tá tú réidh, if you are ready. (b) (With go and adjective) Bheith go maith, go breá, go sásta, go socair, to be well, fine, satisfied, quiet. Tá mé go measartha, I am middling. Bhí an aimsir go dona, the weather was wretched. Dá mbeidís go holc dúinn, if they were ill-disposed towards us. (c) (With chomh and adjective) Tá sé chomh caol le cú, he is as slender as a greyhound. Níl mé chomh hamaideach sin, I am not so foolish as that. (d) (With preposition, adverb, prepositional or adverbial phrase; see under prepositions for further idiomatic uses) Tá sé ag an doras, ar an urlár, sa tine, faoi do chos, it is at the door, on the floor, in the fire, under your foot. Bhí sé as obair, gan airgead, le cuthach, he was out of work, without money, in a fury. Tá an rud sin ó mhaith, that thing has become useless. Tá agam, liom, I have it, I have succeeded. Cá bhfuil siad? Where are they? Tá siad istigh, amuigh, thíos, thuas, trína chéile, they are within, without, below, above, mixed up. Conas taoi? Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? Cad é mar tá tú? How are you? (e) (With noun used adverbially) Tá an lá cineál fuar, the day is somewhat cold. Bhí sí pas beag aerach, she was a little bit giddy. Dá mbeadh sé beagán níos saoire, if it were a little cheaper. 3. (Used as copula) (a) (With preposition i followed by possessive pronoun and noun) Tá sé ina shagart, he is a priest. Dá mbeadh sé ina lá, if it were day. Bhí sé ina shamhradh, it was like summer. Tá an duine bocht ina cheap magaidh acu, they are making a laughing-stock of the poor fellow. (b) (In relative form followed by prepositional pronoun form of i, agreeing with antecedent) Leabhar atá ann, it is a book. Bean mhaith a bhí inti, she was a good woman. Saighdiúirí calma a bheadh iontu, they would have made brave soldiers. (c) (In negative statement with ach)Níl ann ach amadán, he is only a fool. Níl i do chuid cainte ach cur i gcéill, what you say is mere pretence. Níl agat ach labhairt leis, all you need do is speak to him. 4. (As auxiliary with verbal noun or verbal adjective to form periphrastic tense) (a) (With ag or do or a and verbal noun to denote continuing action) Tá sé ag obair, he is working. Bhí na páistí ag foghlaim Gaeilge, the children were learning Irish. Beidh bean an tí ag súil leat, the woman of the house will be expecting you. Ná bí do do chrá féin leis, don’t torment yourself with it. Céard tá tú a dhéanamh? What are you doing? (b) (With chun or le and verbal noun to denote intended action) Tá sé chun, le, labhairt leat, he intends to speak to you. Bhí sé le, chun, teach a thógáil, he was to build a house. (c) (With prepositional phrase and verbal noun; for various idioms see under prepositions) Tá siad ar tí pósadh, they are about to marry. An mhuintir a bhí tar éis imeacht, the people who had just gone. (d) (With verbal adjective to denote completed action) Tá a croí briste, her heart is broken. Má tá na caoirigh caillte, if the sheep are lost. Dá mbeadh mo lámha nite, if my hands were washed. 5. (With prepositional pronoun and verbal noun; see also under prepositions) Tá orm a rá, I must say. Má tá fút imeacht, if you intend to go away. Bhí uaim labhairt leis, I wanted to speak to him. Tá agam le litir a scríobh, I have to write a letter. Ní raibh ionam seasamh, I was unable to stand. Bíodh orm go, I’ll bet that . . . 6. (Used with noun as predicate) (Of time, measurement, weight, price) Attain, amount to, cost. Bheith bliain d’aois, troigh ar airde, slat ar fad, tonna meáchain, punt an chloch, to be a year old, a foot high, a yard long, a ton weight, a pound a stone. Tá sé céad slat as seo, míle ón trá, siúl uaire chun na páirce, it is a hundred yards from here, a mile from the strand, an hour’s walk to the park. 7. (Tá as introductory verb) (a) Cé atá ann? Tá, mise. Who is there? Why, me. Cad é a dúirt sé? Tá, gur imigh sibh air, what did he say? This, that you went away without him. Cár fhág tú é? Tá, sa bhaile. Where did you leave it? At home, of course. (b) Mar atá, mar a bhí, namely. Tá port breá eile aige, mar atá an Chúileann, he has another fine tune, namely, the Coolin. Bhí dhá chú aige, mar a bhí Bran agus Sceolaing, he had two hounds, namely, Bran and Sceolaing. (c) Bíodh (agus, is)go, in spite of the fact that. Bíodh is gur gheall sé é, even though he promised it. (d) Má tá, as to that, however. Má tá, is breá an fear é, as to that, he is a fine man. Rinne tú obair mhaith, má tá, you did good work, however. (e) Cá bhfuil mar? How? Cá bhfuil mar a rachainn? How could I go? (Var: pres. hab. & subj. bí)
PHRASES
IN FOCLÓIR GAEILGE—BÉARLA
Ba mhaith liom iad a bheith ann, I would like them to be there.
An rud atá sé a scríobh, what he is writing.
1) Bhí orm a chur, a cur, a gcur, ar scoil, I had to send him, her, them, to school.
An teach a raibh sé ina chónaí ann, the house in which he lived.
An fear a bhfuil a mhac ag imeacht, the man whose son is going away.
Cibé duine a mbeidh an t-ádh air, whoever is going to be lucky.
Sin a bhfuil ann, that is all that is there.
An bhfuair tú a raibh uait? Did you get all that you wanted?
Bhí iontas orm a dhonacht a bhí sé, I was surprised that he was so bad.
Bhí mé á dhíol, I was selling it.
Bhí sé á dhíol go saor, (i) he was selling it cheaply, (ii) it was being sold cheaply.
Bhí siad á gceannach, (i) they were buying them, (ii) they were being bought.
Bhí siad á moladh aige, they were being praised by him.
Céard atá tú a rá? What are you saying?
Deir sé go bhfuil ocras air, he says he is hungry.
~ nach bhfuil baint agat leis, say you have nothing to do with it.
Níl ach a rá go bhfuil ciall aige! It can hardly be said that he has any sense.
Ní raibh sé sásta faoi rá gur inis mé di é, he was not pleased that I told her.
~, abraimis, go bhfuil an ceart agat, assuming that you are right.
Ní tú atá mé a rá, I am not referring to you.
Mar a bheadh Dia á rá leis, as if God ordained it, as if his life depended on it.
Níl dada le rá leis ach an méid sin, there is nothing to be said to him, concerning him, but that.
Ná bíodh sé le rá leat gur loic tú, let it not be cast up to you that you defaulted.
An bhfuil aon fhocal agat le rá liom? (i) Have you anything to say to me? (ii) Have you anything to say against me?
Ní raibh mé ach ag ~, I was only joking.
Tá sé ag dul, ag tarraingt, ~, he is dying.
4. Ní raibh an teacht ~ ann, he had not the strength to recover.
5. Tá sí ag teacht ~, she is expecting.
Tá ~ maith san éadach sin, there is good stuff in that cloth.
Tá ~ culaithe ann, there is (enough) material in it for a suit.
Tá a ~ aige, he has cause, reason, for it.
Tá ~ molta acu air, they have reason to praise him.
Tá ~ maíte acu as, they have reason to boast of him.
Tá ~ Gaeilge aige, he knows some Irish.
Bhí ~ ban ina measc, there were a number of women among them.
Tá sé ~ teasaí, he is somewhat excitable.
8. Tá sé ar a ~ féin, he is on his own, free to follow his own inclinations.
Bhí an bád ag imeacht ar a h~ féin, the boat was drifting.
Tá ~ ann, he is treacherous.
Dhá ~ a bheith ar do choigeal agat, to have two strings to one's bow.
Níl mórán abhrais déanta aige, he has little to show for his work.
Is beag an t-~ a bhí leis de bharr a lae ag iascach, he had little reward for his day's fishing.
Ní ag teacht atá siad ~ ag imeacht, they are not coming but going.
Níl ann ~ greann, it is only in fun.
Ní raibh agam ~ é, it was all I had.
Nach bhfuil leat ~ an leabhar seo? Have you brought nothing but this book?
Níl aon duine anseo ~ mé féin, there is no one here except myself.
Níl tú ~ ag amaidí, you are only fooling.
Níl ann ~ go bhfeicim iad, I can barely see them.
Mura bhfuil ort ~ gur scríobadh thú, if there is nothing the matter with you but that you were scratched.