How to learn conversational Irish
Updated
The quickest way into conversational Irish is to speak it from the first day. Learn the phrases people actually say, like hello, how are you, thanks and see you later. Hear them said, say them back out loud, and do it for a few minutes every day. Grammar is much easier once you have phrases to hang it on.
Where to start
- Greetings and small talk. Dia duit (hello), Conas atá tú? (how are you?), Tá mé go maith (I’m good), Go raibh maith agat (thank you) and Slán (goodbye). The greetings chat has them all.
- How Irish sounds. A few rules unlock the spelling: bh and mh sound like v or w, a fada (á, é, í, ó, ú) makes a vowel long, and slender t and d sound close to ch and j. How Irish sounds walks through them.
- Yes and no. Irish has no single word for either; you answer with the verb. Learn that early and conversations get much easier. Try the yes and no chat.
- A little every day, out loud. Ten minutes a day does more than an hour once a week, and saying it aloud is what makes it stick.
- People to speak with. A conversation circle (ciorcal comhrá), a class or a summer course in the Gaeltacht. There’s a list of them below.
Is Irish hard to learn?
Irish isn’t harder than other European languages for English speakers, but it is different. Three things surprise most learners. The spelling looks odd but follows rules. The start of a word can change: cara is a friend, but my friend is mo chara. And the verb comes first: Tá mé go maith, I’m good, is literally “am I well”. For most people the hard part isn’t the grammar but finding others to speak with.
How long does it take to learn Irish?
It depends on how often you practise and how much you speak. With ten or fifteen minutes a day, most learners can manage greetings, small talk and simple plans within a few months. Holding a long conversation takes longer, and it comes from speaking with people as much as from study.
Which Irish should I learn?
Irish has three main dialects, named after the provinces where they’re spoken: Munster (Kerry, Cork and Waterford), Connacht (Galway and Mayo) and Ulster (Donegal). They differ in sounds and in some everyday words, but speakers of each understand the others. The Official Standard, An Caighdeán Oifigiúil, sets the spelling and grammar used in schools, books and dictionaries. This site uses standard Irish, and the four mates come from Galway, Kerry, Dublin and Donegal.
| Dialect | How are you? |
|---|---|
| Munster | Conas atá tú? |
| Connacht | Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? |
| Ulster | Cad é mar atá tú? |
How many people speak Irish?
- In Ireland’s 2022 census, 1,873,997 people aged three and over said they could speak Irish, 40% of those who answered. 71,968 of them spoke it every day outside the education system. (CSO, Census 2022)
- In Northern Ireland’s 2021 census, 228,617 people (12.4% of those aged three and over) had some ability in Irish, and 71,872 could speak, read, write and understand it. (NISRA, Census 2021, table MS-B05)
- 106,220 people live in the Gaeltacht, the areas where Irish is the community language, in Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Meath. (CSO, Census 2022)
- Irish has been a full official and working language of the European Union since 1 January 2022.
Free ways to practise Irish
- Béarla go Gaeilge (this site): 34 short chats in everyday Irish with voice notes, and a phrasebook of 645 phrases with audio. Free, with no account.
- Teanglann.ie: the main Irish–English dictionary, with grammar tables and pronunciation in all three dialects.
- Focloir.ie: the English–Irish dictionary, with sound files.
- TG4: Irish-language television, with English subtitles on many programmes.
- RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta: national Irish-language radio, live and on demand.
- Duolingo: a free Irish course for building vocabulary.
- Abair.ie: type any Irish and hear it read aloud in the three dialects.
Classes and courses
- Conradh na Gaeilge: classes and conversation circles around Ireland and online.
- Gaelchultúr: Irish courses for adults, in person and online.
- Oideas Gael: courses in the Donegal Gaeltacht.
Questions people ask
Is Irish the same as Gaelic?
Irish (Gaeilge) is the language of Ireland. Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a closely related but separate language, and Manx is a third. In Ireland people call their language Irish; you’ll hear “Gaelic” or “Irish Gaelic” more often abroad.
Can I learn Irish for free?
Yes. This site is free with no account, and so are the dictionaries at teanglann.ie and focloir.ie, Irish-language TV on the TG4 Player, Raidió na Gaeltachta and Duolingo’s Irish course. Classes and Gaeltacht courses cost money, but many conversation circles are free.
Do I need to learn grammar first?
No. Start with phrases you can use, then let grammar explain what you’re already saying. Once you know mo chara (my friend), the rule that mo changes the start of the next word makes sense straight away.
What’s the Irish for “Irish”?
Gaeilge. To ask someone if they speak Irish, say An bhfuil Gaeilge agat?, literally “is Irish at you?”. English is Béarla, so Béarla go Gaeilge means English to Irish.
How do you say “I’m learning Irish” in Irish?
Tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge. It’s worth knowing early: say it and most Irish speakers will slow down and help you.
Why is there no word for yes or no in Irish?
Irish answers with the verb from the question instead. An bhfuil tú réidh? (Are you ready?) is answered Tá (I am) or Níl (I’m not). An mbeidh tú ann? (Will you be there?) is answered Beidh or Ní bheidh.