Chat 'em up in Irish! From Intercelt.com The main problem with phrasebooks is that you can never seem to find exactly what you want to say in them. They are filled with such bizarre dialogue that you are never likely to use them on any normal holiday. It's all stuff like "Excuse me officer - where is the nearest drop-in center for distressed household pets?" or "Yes, yes - your carpets are the most luxurious I have ever tasted!" What is needed is a handy list of phrases that focus on specific and urgent situations, when the ability to utter the right sentence can really make a difference. We are thinking of such precarious circumstances as the ordering of drinks in a bar or chatting people up - when having the right words REALLY matters. Having spent many weeks compiling the list, our major worry was how we could be sure that the collected expressions would work in practice. Well, this difficulty was soon overcome when a number of volunteers stepped forward and kindly agreed to undertake some fieldwork to test the product. I have it on very good advice that the results of their trials were quite spectacular - though I am not at liberty to disclose just how spectacular or who they were spectacular with. Notwithstanding this, we now have absolutely no difficulty in recommending this phrasebook to you. May you enjoy using it as much as we have enjoyed compiling it!! English Gaeilge Pronunciation Would you like a drink? An ólfá deoch On ole-haw dyuch? I would, thanks D'ólfainn, cinnte Dole-hinn, keencha I wouldn't, thanks Ní ólfainn, go raibh maith agat Nee ole-hinn, guh rev moh agut What'll you have? Cad a bheidh agat? Cod a vay agut? Mine's a Guinness Beidh pionta Guinness agam, le do thoil Bay pyunta Guinness agam leh duh hul How much is that? Cé mhéad atá ar sin Kay vade athaw ar shin? Cheers Sláinte Slawn-cha You look luverly! Tá tú ag breathnú go h-álainn Thaw thoo ag bra-noo guh haw-lin Your dress / jumper is nice Tá do ghúna/geansaí go deas Thaw duh ghoona/gyansey guh dyas I like your hairstyle Is maith liom do stíl gruaige Is moh lyum duh steel gruwiga You're very sexy Tá tú an ghnéasach Thaw thoo an ghnay-such What color are your eyes? Cén dath atá ar do shúile? Kayn tha athaw ar du hoola? They're blue/green/brown Tá dath gorm/glas/donn orthu Thaw tha gurum/gloss/dhun ur-hoo They're luverly ! Tá siad go hálainn Thaw sheed gu haw-linn Take it easy Tóg bog é Thowg bug ay Would you like to dance? Ar mhaith leat damhsa? Air woh lyat dow-sa I'd love to / no thanks! Ba bhreá liom / níor mhaith liom damsha Buh vra lyum/ neer woh lyum dowsa Let's do this again sometime Ba bhreá liom casadh leat arís Buh vra lyum kosa lyat areesh Sorry, I'm in a rush and have to go now Tá brón orm, tá deifir orm agus caithfidh mé imeacht anois Thaw brone urum, thaw defer urum agus ka-hee may imucht anish Darling! / Pet! A stór/a chroí A sthore/ a chree Oh, pulse of my heart! A chuisle mo chroí A chwishla muh chree My first love ! / my true love ! A chéadsearc ! / rúnsearc ! A chayd-shark/ roon-shrark   This article provided by www.intercelt.com the portal for Irish language and cultural holidays in Ireland