Mo Mhadra: My Dog

A dog called Bran, and the one word he knows.

Tá madra agam.
I have a dog.

Bran is ainm dó.
His name is Bran.

Tá sé mór agus dubh.
He is big and black.

Tá cos amháin bán aige.
He has one white leg.

Éiríonn sé go luath, níos luaithe ná mise.
He gets up early, earlier than me.

Téimid amach ag siúl gach lá.
We go out walking every day.

Ritheann sé i ndiaidh na n-éan.
He runs after the birds.

Ní bheireann sé orthu riamh.
He never catches them.

Tuigeann sé focal amháin: “Suigh!”
He understands one word: “Sit!”

Uaireanta déanann sé é.
Sometimes he does it.

Is maith liom mo mhadra, bíodh sé dána nó ná bíodh.
I like my dog, whether he is bold or not.

A note on this one

<b>Agam</b> is “at me”, and Irish uses it where English says “have”: <i>tá madra agam</i>, a dog is at me. The same word turns up in <i>tá Gaeilge agam</i>, I speak Irish.