Hello! I am new to the forum, and so happy to find such helpful Irish language folk. If anyone has a chance, I would love a translation for a short sentence. I am writing a novel based on my ancestors' last years in the west of Ireland (Great Hunger era, Beara peninsula), and I want to include some Irish language sentences here and there in my narrative. Here is the one I am working on right now: "May I plant my potatoes here, Father?"

Thanks! No hurry.
Jane Harrington

Maybe something like:

An féidir liom mo phrátaí a gcur anso, a Athair? – Can I plant my potatoes here, Father? (In Irish, I think you would say "Can I …?" when you're asking if you're allowed to do something.)

Please wait for other folks to come along and correct my sentence or verify that I got it right – I'm still learning.

Unless there is a non-standard grammatical thing at play here, I believe it should be a chur. Apart from that it looks OK to me.

Or what about the following?

An féidir liom mo phrátaí do chur anso, a Athair?

Considering it's supposed to be mid-nineteenth century I mean...

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Ultach mé agus Gaeilg Uladh a labhraim go measardha maith!

I'm not familiar with the grammatical terminology, but I'm almost sure that's incorrect (I understand how "do chuireas na prátaí anso mí ó shin..." etc can work), but this is a different situation. Something relative I think? A chur is correct in my view. Better wait for more confirmation, though, to be sure, but I'm really quite sure.

I would think, if you were seeking permission, you'd say "an bhfuil cead agam," not "an féidir liom."

I'm sure Saoirse can tell us what the teacher would say if a child asked "an féidir liom dul amach go dtí an leithreas?"!

Redwolf

Technically, yes. This tends to be abused as a phrase/idiom. Personally, I don't mind it too much, but for the sake of translation, it'd probably be best to switch to Redwolf's one.

"A athair, an féidir liom mo phrátaí a chur anseo/ anso?" (perfect standardised Irish)

Usually the person you are addressing comes at the beginning of a sentence in Irish.

"A athair, an bhféadfainn mo phrátaí do chur/ a chur anso?" (GM, modernised spelling)

"A athair, an bhféadfainn mo p(h*)rátaidhe/ photátaoidhe do chur annso?" (GM SL)

* in older Cork Irish "p" was often unlenited, therefore, prátaidhe may be used!- just get a check on that

Wait for some more input!

Crossed with Gumbi and Redwolf

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

Technically the mír "do" should be used in the Aimsear/ Aimsir Chaite and the Modh Coinníollach, but try telling that to Tomás Ó Criomhthain . It is not entirely unusual to use "do" as "an mhír choibhneasta dhíreach" (I think that's what its called), the "mír choibhneasta dhíreach" is usually "a". The use of "do" in the past tense, the modh coinníollach and an "mhír choibhneasta dhíreach" can be seen here:

An tOileánach (2002):

"Is nós insa Bhlascaod riamh agus fós pé rud do chuireann cuid acu ar bun go mbíonn an chuid eile go léir a d’iarraidh an rud céanna do dhéanamh: bliain do phósfadh a mbeadh ann, agus seacht mbliana ina dhiaidh sin ná pósfadh éinne ann; aiteas
b’fhéidir gurbh ea é. Ag tagairt don mbliain seo ar siúl agam atáim mar, tar éis chailín
Thrá Lí agus an cailín eile seo do rith abhaile ó thigh an tsagairt, do cheap na daoine
ná beadh aon phósadh eile ann, ach ní hamhlaidh do bhí, mar nár fhan cailín ná
buachaill gan pósadh ann sara raibh an Inid amuigh".

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice

Tá an ceart agat!

In my totally non-expert opinion, "A athair, an bhféadfainn mo phrátaidhe do chur annso?" is perfect!