Language/Irish/Grammar/Question-Words

Irish → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Questions and Answers → Question Words

As a beginner in Irish, forming questions can be a bit tricky, especially when using question words. However, with a bit of practice and understanding of the basics, you will be able to ask and answer questions with ease. In this lesson, you will learn how to form questions using question words such as who, what, when, and where.

Irish Question Words

Firstly, let's take a look at the most commonly used question words in Irish:

• Cé (pronounced as kay) - who
• Cad (pronounced as kahd) - what
• Cén t-am (pronounced as kane tahm) - when
• Cén áit (pronounced as kane awtch) - where
• Cén fáth (pronounced as kane faw) - why
• Conas (pronounced as kun-us) - how
• Céard a (pronounced as kay-ard a) - what or what is

These question words can be used in different sentence structures to ask a variety of different questions.

Basic Sentence Structure

Before learning how to use question words, it's essential to understand the basic sentence structure in Irish. In Irish, the word order of a sentence is generally subject-verb-object (SVO). As an example:

• D'ith mé an t-alainn bia. (pronounced as dee meh on tall-inn bee-ah) - I ate the lovely food.

The subject (I), verb (ate), and object (food) in this sentence follow this order. However, if you want to emphasize a specific aspect of the sentence, you can change the word order. For example:

• An t-alainn bia a d'ith mé. (pronounced as on tall-inn bee-ah a dee meh) - The lovely food I ate.

In this case, the emphasis is on the food rather than the action of eating.

Forming Questions Using Question Words

In Irish, when forming questions using question words, you can switch the word order of the sentence, and the verb may take a different form.

1. 1. 1. Yes/No Questions ###

The most straightforward type of question in Irish is a yes/no question. These questions can be formed by starting a sentence with "an" (pronounced as on) or "nach" (pronounced as nock). "An" means "is," and "nach" means "isn't." For example:

• An ith tú an bia? (pronounced as on ih too on bee-ah) - Do you eat the food?
• Nach miste leat é? (pronounced as nock mish-ta lat ay) - Don't you like it?

1. 1. 1. Information Questions ###

Information questions in Irish use question words and are formed by switching the word order of a sentence. The word order follows this structure: question word + verb + subject + object. As an example:

• Cad a ithimid? (pronounced as kahd a ih-him-id) - What do we eat?

In this sentence example, "cad" (what) is the question word, "ithimid" (eat) is the verb, and "a" is a particle that connects the question word and the verb. The word order changes to question word + verb + subject, which in this case is implied, + object.

• Cén t-am a thosaíonn an scannán? (pronounced as kane tahm a ho-see-un on scun-awn) - When does the movie start?

In this example, "cén t-am" (when) is the question word, "thosaíonn" (start) is the verb, and "an scannán" (the movie) is the object. The word order changes to question word + verb + subject + object.

1. 1. 1. Indirect Questions ###

Indirect questions in Irish can also use question words. However, they don't need to switch the word order of the sentence, and the verb does not change form. As an example:

• Tá mé ag ceisteacht cén t-am a thosaíonn an scannán. (pronounced as taw may egg kesh-thach-t kane tahm a ho-see-un on scun-awn) - I'm wondering when the movie starts.

In this sentence, the word order of the sentence follows the SVO structure, and "cén t-am" (when) is used as an indirect question word.

1. 1. 1. Using "Céard a" ###

"Céard a" is a question structure that is used in Irish to ask for a definition or explanation of something. This structure follows the word order: "céard a + verb + subject + object?" For example:

• Céard a dhéanann dlúthdhiosca? (pronounced as kay-ard a yawn-un dool-h-jiss-ka) - What does a CD do?

In this sentence, "céard a" (what or what is) is the question word, "dhéanann" (do) is the verb, and "dlúthdhiosca" (CD) is the object. The word order changes to question word + verb + subject (implied) + object.

Examples

To see how these question words can be used in practice, let's look at some examples:

• Cé atá ann? (pronounced as kay a-taw on) - Who is there?
• Cad atá ar siúl anseo? (pronounced as kahd a-taw err shool on-shuh) - What's going on here?
• Cén t-am a itheann tú? (pronounced as kane tahm a ih-han too) - When do you eat?
• Cén áit a bhfuil tú ina chónaí? (pronounced as kane awtch a will too in-a chown-ee) - Where do you live?
• Cén fáth a mbíonn sé ag déanamh sin? (pronounced as kane faw a meeb-inn shay egg dayn-uv shin) - Why does he/she do that?
• Conas atá tú? (pronounced as kun-us a-taw too) - How are you?
• Céard a thógann tú leat go minic? (pronounced as kay-ard a hug-un too lat go min-ick) - What do you often take with you?

Conclusion

By understanding the basic sentence structure in Irish and practicing forming questions using question words, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Irish. Remember to pay attention to the word order changes depending on the type of question and practice using these different question words in context.

Table of Contents - Irish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Verb-Object
• Negation

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Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time

  ---

Questions and Answers

• Question Words
• Answering Questions

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

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Possession and Pronouns

• Possessive Pronouns
• Object Pronouns

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Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Drinks and Beverages

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Verb Conjugation

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs

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Hobbies and Activities

• Sports and Fitness
• Arts and Entertainment

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Vocabulary

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Prepositions

• Common Prepositions
• Prepositional Pronouns

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Weather and Seasons

• Weather Vocabulary
• Seasons and Months

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Irish History and Culture

• Overview of Irish History
• Irish Music and Dance

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Irish Literature and Folklore

• Famous Irish Authors
• Irish Myths and Legends

Other Lessons

• Questions
• Subject Verb Object
• Future Tense
• Answering Questions
• Descriptive Adjectives
• Pronouns
• Conditional Mood
• 0 to A1 Course
• Irregular Verbs