An tSraith Ar Lár/ The Missing Link
Fun with ‘Chun’
Keep in mind that unlike other European languages, Irish does not have an infinitive tense.
(i.e. A verb with ‘to’ before it, e.g. to go, to do, to see, etc. )
You might notice that the vocabulary and verbs used in the following examples are commonplace words that beginners would be expected to know in a relatively short period of time studying Irish. Even so you might still have difficulty (even after years of studying Irish) composing some of these colloquial expressions despite knowing all the individual words. Traditional methods of language teaching often emphasize acquiring lots of words on a range of topics. But knowing lots of vocabulary does not guarantee fluency in speaking a language. A better and more effective way to build confidence and fluency in speaking and writing another language is to identify grammar structures you use in your mother tongue and find out how to translate these structures into the second language.
If I want to say in Spanish “I’m going to buy the newspaper ”, I say “Voy a comprar el periodico”.
‘Voy a comprar…’ mirrors almost exactly the English grammatical structure (i.e. present tense verb + infinitive verb) ‘I’m going to buy…’
‘Like for like’ grammatical structures are rarely possible when translating from English into Irish. So you have to find ’an tsraith ar lár’ (the missing link). In this case, we need ‘chun’ and a verbal noun to translate English structures like ‘going to buy the newspaper’ .
Structure Example: chun + a + verbal noun (vn.)
Agus ní mó na sásta a bhí siad nuair a chuaigh sí abhaile leis an scéal go raibh sí chun Daire a phósadh .
And they weren’t the least bit pleased when she came home with the news that she was going to marry Daire.
Understanding the Natives
Political parties in Ireland are not in the least embarrassed to appoint people who don’t speak Irish to speak on matters concerning the future direction of the Irish language.
‘’... agus beidh sé réidh chun an Ghaeilge a labhairt ar an teilifís nó sa Dáil i gceann tamaill.’’ (“…and he’ll be ready to speak Irish on the television or in the Dáil in a short while.” - Frank Feighan’s (Spokesperson for FIne Gael on Irish and the Gaeltacht) Irish Teacher.
And more recent appointments…
The Donegal TD and the newly appointed senior Minister in the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, Heather Humprheys, struggled with the native language during their first Dail debate. - Philip Ryan www.independent.ie Published 16/07/2014|11:16
More fun with ‘chun’
You’ll be ‘réidh chun an Ghaeilge a labhairt’ more fluently if you study the following examples and add to them. Mastering a structure that doesn’t exist in your mother tongue requires a lot of repetition, so I have collected and translated many examples from various text sources to help you get started .
Bhí siad chun teach mór a cheannach áit éigin. They were going to buy a big house somewhere.
Bhí siad chun saol breá a chaitheamh ag déanamh mar ba mhaith leo. They were going to have a great life doing whatever they liked.
Shíl sí cupla uair go raibh sé chun briseadh amach ag caoineadh, ach níor bhris. She thought she was going to burst into tears a couple of times, but she didn’t.
Ní raibh sí chun é a fhágáil leis féin anois. She wasn’t going to leave him on his own now.
Bhí sí chun rud éigin a rá le Tom. She was going to say something to Tom.
Try translating the following English sentences to Irish using the ‘chun’ structure. * (Translations below)
1. She said she was going to leave him.
2. I thought you were going to kill him.
3. At eight o’clock I left to go home.
4. He went into the bar next door to get something to eat.
5. He was going to try to get a false passport.
6. At half past three he was going to leave when he heard him behind him.
Here are another few ways to use ‘chun’:
Dá mbeadh an lá chun iascaigh. If the day was suitable for fishing (i.e. to go fishing)
Níl sé chun mo thola. It is not to my liking
Ní mhór Donncha a thabhairt chun siúil láithreach.
We must get Donncha away immediately.
Donncha has to leave immediately.
..chuaigh mó mháthair chun cainte le hIvy. …my mother went to speak to Ivy.
* Suggested Irish Translations
1.Dúirt sí go raibh sí chun é a fhágáil.
2.Shíl mé go raibh tú chun é a mharú.
3. Ar a hocht a chlog tháinig mé amach chun filleadh abhaile.
4. Chuaigh sé isteach sa bhéar béaldorais chun rud éigin a fháil le n-ithe.
5. Bhí sé chun iarracht a dhéanamh ar phas falsa a fháil.
6. Ar leathuair tar éis a trí, bhí sé chun imeacht leis nuair a chuala sé é laistiar de.
