Questions

[Días Lasairfhíona]

A chairde,

I have a quite strange question. “How to form open questions”.

“What are you doing?” would I translate with Cad tá tú ag déanamh?
“How is she singing?” would I translate with Conas atá sí ag canadh?
“Why are you running?” would I translate with Cén fath a bhfuil tú ag rith?

Is this correct? And how to translate “because“.

For example “because I like to run” -> mar is maith liom a rith.
or “because I have to run” -> mar atá orm a rith.

Please correct me if I am wrong or when there is perhaps a more common way to say it.

[Lughaidh]

“What are you doing?” would I translate with Cad tá tú ag déanamh?

ok, but the “traditional” way to say it is “Cad (é) atà tù a dhèanamh?”

“How is she singing?” would I translate with Conas atá sí ag canadh?
“Why are you running?” would I translate with Cén fath a bhfuil tú ag rith?

right

For example “because I like to run” -> mar is maith liom a rith.
or “because I have to run” -> mar atá orm a rith.

there are plenty of words to say “because” : mar, mar go, as siocair go, toisc go, ar an àbhar go, cionn is go, nò… depends on the dialect.

You could say “mar is maith liom bheith ag rith”
mar tà orm bheith ag rith.

Donegal: siocair gur maith liom bheith a’ rith” (or “siocair go bhfuil dùil agam ina bheith a’ rith”)
and
siocair go gcaithfidh mè (bheith a’) rith.

[aonghus]

“Cad (é) atà tù a dhèanamh?”

“Cad atá á dheanamh agat?” a bheadh agamsa.

[Héilics Órbhuí]

Yikes, I would have actually thought the OP’s was correct (except ‘tá or atá instead of tá), as well as aonghus’ of course, but that’s just not how I would have said it (I thought they would both be correct). :/

Added: Upon searching some more, aonghus’ version is obviously right, Lughaidh’s is also right, and mine and OP’s is wrong I’m fairly sure. 😛

In speech this is one that’s usually said so fast and often abbreviated that I don’t really know how to render it in correct writing, I guess. I also forget there’s an implied (é) there that takes away your ability to use “ag”.

[Héilics Órbhuí]

I figured this would help the OP understand better than I could explain it:
From nualeargais:

1. direct object as the antecedent

Instead of ag , a is used with lenition of the VN.
This corresponds to the aforementioned form for emphasis of the object, relative clauses can become necessary without a special choice of emphasis, this is always the case in interrogative clauses.

object (antecedent) + a + relative form of bí + subject + a + VN
Is maith liom an obair atá an fear a dhéanamh. = I like the work, that the man does.
Cad atá tú a dhéanamh? = What are you doing (right now)?

(There are some words of German that were untranslated in the original source, but I corrected them to avoid confusion)

[Días Lasairfhíona]

Thank you very much, for your help. I used to think that a form of bí + a verbal noun are always connected with ag, but I saw that sometimes they aren’t and now I know why. Thank you.

Now, I still have two questions. First, we see é + ag go together to á. Do other objective form of a personal pronoun do the same, like, mé + ag changes in …?

And, secondly, é + ag becomes á, but does é + a just remain é a.
For example: I am going to read it. > Tá mé ag dul é a léamh.

[Lughaidh]

Now, I still have two questions. First, we see é + ag go together to á. Do other objective form of a personal pronoun do the same, like, mé + ag changes in …?

depends on the dialect. In Donegal we say “a’ mo, a’ do, á, á, ‘ár, ‘mur, á”, as far as I know.
In Munster i think they say “dom, dod, dá, dá, dár, dúr, dá”
In Connemara I think they say “go mo, go do, dhá, dhá, dhá(r?), dhá, dhá”
wait for more answers

And, secondly, é + ag becomes á, but does é + a just remain é a.
For example: I am going to read it. > Tá mé ag dul é a léamh.

The pattern with “dul” is different.
First, let’s take “Ba mhaith liom” : ba mhaith liom é a léamh,
or ba mhaith liom a léamh (in this sentence, “a” is the possessive: I would like its reading).

After “dul”, you have to use “ag” (Munster + Connachta) or “a” (Ulster):
Tá mé ag dul/gabháil ag déanamh tae.
Ulster: Tá mé ag gabháil a dhéanamh tae.

If you say “I’m going to do it”, you’d get:
Tá mé ag dul/gabháil á dhéanamh (á is either ag+a for M and C and a+a in Ulster, the second a is the possessive).

I don’t think you can say “tá mé ag gabháil é a dhéanamh”, because “gabháil” has to be followed by “ag” or “a”.

[Días Lasairfhíona]

So, let’s say I am from Ulster and I say Is maith liom é a dhéanamh. Is that wrong? Should it be Is maith liom á dhéanamh?

[Lughaidh]

“In Munster i think they say “dom, dod, dá, dá, dár, dúr, dá” “

– No, in Munster it’s ‘om, ‘od/‘ot, á, ár, úr, á

that’s right (at least for Corca Dhuibhne), gabh mo leithsgéal!

So, let’s say I am from Ulster and I say Is maith liom é a dhéanamh. Is that wrong? Should it be Is maith liom á dhéanamh?

you can say “Is maith liom é a dhéanamh” (I like doing it) or “Is maith liom a dhéanamh” (in this case it’s “a”, not “á” ; the “a” is the possessive: “I like its doing”)

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