Getting around in Irish
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Irish words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Irish phrases in this lesson
- Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will un LEH-russ
- Where is the toilet?
- Conas a rachaidh mé go...?KUN-us uh RAH-ee may guh
- How do I get to...?
- Ar chléer KHLAY
- To the left
- Ar dheiser YESH
- To the right
- Díreach ar aghaidhDEER-akh er EYE
- Straight ahead
- Anseoun-SHUH
- Here
- An stáisiún traenachun STAW-shoon TRAY-nakh
- Train station
- Busbus
- Bus
- AerfortAIR-fort
- Airport
- Ticéad amháin, le do thoiltih-KADE ah-WAWN leh duh HULL
- One ticket, please
Leithreas is the Irish word for toilet/bathroom. You'll see it on signs alongside "WC" and "Toilet." In pubs you may see "Fir" (feer, Men) and "Mná" (mnaw, Women) on the doors, which often surprises visitors.
Díreach means "straight/direct" and ar aghaidh means "ahead/forward." The "gh" in aghaidh is silent, giving you just "eye." A very commonly heard direction in Irish towns and villages.
Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) operates intercity and commuter services. Dublin has the DART coastal rail and Luas trams. Stáisiún is borrowed from English "station." Traenach means "of the train."
Ticéad is borrowed directly from English "ticket." Amháin means "one." You can replace amháin with dhá (gaw, two) for two tickets. In most transport hubs the transaction will happen in English but the Irish is a nice touch.