Markets & Souvenirs

1. Cé mhéad atá air seo?

   How much does this cost?

   Usage

   Basic phrase for asking the price at a market or souvenir shop

   Grammar Note

   Irish expresses price as being "on" an item. "Air seo" means "on this"

2. An féidir liom margadh a dhéanamh?

   Can I bargain on the price?

   Usage

   Asking whether bargaining is possible

   Grammar Note

   "Margadh" means both market and deal. "Margadh a dhéanamh" means to make a deal

3. Tairgím fiche euro duit

   I'll offer you twenty euros

   Usage

   Offering a counter-price during bargaining

   Grammar Note

   "Tairgím" is the first-person present of "tairg" (to offer). Ireland uses the euro

4. An féidir leat lascaine a thabhairt dom?

   Can you give me a discount?

   Usage

   Requesting a discount

   Grammar Note

   "Lascaine a thabhairt" is the verb phrase for giving a discount. Irish craft markets sometimes allow negotiation

5. An bhfuil sé déanta de láimh?

   Is this handmade?

   Usage

   Checking whether an item is handmade

   Grammar Note

   "De láimh" means "by hand". "Láimh" is the dative (prepositional) form of "lámh" (hand)

6. Cén ábhar atá ann?

   What material is it made of?

   Usage

   Asking about the material of an item

   Grammar Note

   "Ábhar" means material/substance. Traditional Irish materials include olann (wool) and lín (linen)

7. An féidir leat é a fhilleadh mar bhronntanas?

   Can you gift-wrap this?

   Usage

   Requesting gift wrapping

   Grammar Note

   "Bronntanas" means gift. "Mar bhronntanas" means "as a gift". Note: unrelated to "bron" (sorrow)

8. Cá bhfuil an margadh oíche?

   Where is the night market?

   Usage

   Asking the location of a night market

   Grammar Note

   "Cá bhfuil" asks "where is". "Oíche" (night) is pronounced roughly "ee-heh"

9. An féidir liom admháil a fháil?

   Can I have a receipt?

   Usage

   Asking for a receipt after a purchase

   Grammar Note

   "Admháil" derives from "admit/acknowledge" and means receipt. "Fáltas" is another term used

10. Cén t-am a osclaíonn an margadh?

    What time does the market open?

    Usage

    Checking when the market opens

    Grammar Note

    "Cén t-am" asks "what time". The "t-" is the t-prefix added to a masculine vowel-initial noun after the article (a prefix, not a mutation)

11. Níl mé ach ag féachaint, go raibh maith agat

    I'm just looking, thank you

    Usage

    Politely declining a shopkeeper's approach

    Grammar Note

    "Go raibh maith agat" is the standard "thank you" in Irish (literally: may goodness be with you)

12. An nglacann tú le cártaí?

    Do you accept cards?

    Usage

    Checking whether card payment is accepted

    Grammar Note

    "An nglacann" begins with eclipsis, a nasalization mutation triggered by the question particle "an"

13. Tá mé á cheannach mar chuimhneachán do chara

    I'm buying it as a souvenir for a friend

    Usage

    Telling the seller it is a souvenir gift

    Grammar Note

    "Cuimhneachán" derives from "cuimhne" (memory/remembrance), meaning souvenir/keepsake

14. An féidir é a sheoladh thar lear?

    Can this be shipped internationally?

    Usage

    Asking about international shipping options

    Grammar Note

    "Thar lear" is an idiom for "overseas". "Lear" is an archaic word for sea

15. Cad é an mhír is fearr agat?

    What is your best item?

    Usage

    Asking for the seller's top recommendation

    Grammar Note

    "Is fearr" forms the superlative. "Fearr" is the comparative/superlative of "maith" (good)

16. An féidir an praghas a phlé?

    Is the price negotiable?

    Usage

    Checking whether the price can be negotiated

    Grammar Note

    "An féidir an praghas a phlé?" literally asks whether the price can be discussed (negotiated). "plé" lenites to "phlé" after the particle "a"

17. An bhfuil méid eile agat?

    Do you have a different size?

    Usage

    Looking for a different size

    Grammar Note

    "Méid eile" means "different size". "Níos mó" (bigger) or "níos lú" (smaller) specifies the preference

18. Tá sé seo ró-dhaor

    This is too expensive

    Usage

    Expressing that the price is too high

    Grammar Note

    "Ró-" is the "too/over" prefix. It triggers lenition of the following consonant: "daor" → "dhaor"

19. glasraí

    Vegetables

    Usage

    Point at it to find the vegetable stalls at a market

    Grammar Note

    Plural of "glasra" (masc.); the plural is what you see on stalls

20. gairleog

    Garlic

    Usage

    Point at it to buy it or to check whether a dish contains it

    Grammar Note

    "Gairleog" is feminine; the wild garlic found in Irish woods is "creamh"

21. oinniún

    Onion

    Usage

    Point at it to buy it or to check whether a dish contains it

    Grammar Note

    "Oinniún" is masculine; spring onions are "scailliúin"

22. sinséar

    Ginger

    Usage

    Point at it when buying; the same word is used in "ginger ale"

    Grammar Note

    "Sinséar" is masculine

23. cillí

    Chilli

    Usage

    Point at it when buying, or to ask what is making a dish hot

    Grammar Note

    "Cillí" is a loanword; spicy is "spíosrach". Not the same as "piobar dearg" (red bell pepper)

24. lus an choire

    Coriander / cilantro

    Usage

    Point at it if you need to avoid it; Irish shops label it in English as "coriander"

    Grammar Note

    Literally "herb of the pot"; "coire" (pot) takes the genitive "choire"

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