Féabar gave me a great idea while learning that I hadn't been doing much, taking sentences I am learning and thinking of other ways to use them. So here I am with Fiú...

Tá a fhios agam;

Is fiú euro é - its worth a euro
Is fiú dom fanacht anseo - its worth me staying here

Ach ceard faoi;

It's worth learning, would that be: Is fiú é a fhoghlaim?
Its worth her learning: Is fiú di é a fhoglaim
Its not worth them coming: Ní fiú dóibh ag teacht
Its not worth us going: Ní fiú dúinn ag goile
It is worth you (pl.) learning Irish: Is fiú daoibh an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim

Maith agaibh

All those work fine—except you have to remember that the participle used in English (‘coming’, ‘going’, ‘learning’) is only used as a stand-in form for the infinitive. In Irish, the infinitive (i.e., verbal noun) is just used on its own, even if there’s no object. So you correctly say is fiú é a fhoghlaim/an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim, but when there’s no object, you seem to want to add an ag that doesn’t belong. Simply ní fiú dóibh teach/dúinn goil(e) is enough.

You could even go all-out crazy and say ní fiú fiú fiú gan fiú é ‘it’s not even worth the value of a ferrule’ … but that’s just being silly.

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Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

Seo mo chuid:


Is fiú cleactadh a dhéanamh. (It is worth practicing) [is the "é" necessary here and in all of the following?]
Is fiú an brontannas a thabhairt. (It's worth giving the gift)
Is fiú é a fheiceáil. (It's worth seeing it)
Is fiu an chomhra a bheith agaibh leis. (It's worth "y'all" having the conversation with him)
Is fiú a rá léi go bhfuil tú i ngrá léi. (It's worth is to tell her that you're in love with her)

Somebody that knows more than me let me know if I've got the right idea. I've never known how to use "Is fiú" and
it may or may not be necessary to have the "é" after fiú every time.

Buíochas le Somhairle!
Féabar Mac


I just edited this to what I feel better about if anyone noticed the change. I had "é" after "Is fiú" each sentence.

Confused me a little too, I suppose saying "Is fiú di é an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim" is like saying "it is worth her learning it, the Gaeilge" rather than "Is fiú di an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim" which would be "its worth her learning the Irish". Am I right in that? So using 'é' wouldn't be wrong, but without the 'é' would be more conversational? Or is one of them plain wrong?

Thanks for the help

I think *Is fiú di é an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim* is wrong.

I would say:

Is fiú di Gaeilge a fhoghlaim

I was taught that the article isn't used much with Gaeilge in the nominative and accusative, mostly in the genitive, i.e. ag foghlaim na Gaeilge, but Gaeilge a fhoghlaim, though I can also see that it might be the difference between "learn Irish" (an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim) and "learn some Irish" (Gaeilge a fhoghlaim).

Because Gaeilge is feminine, you have to replace it with í not é:

Is fiú di í a fhoghlaim.

Await higher opinions on that.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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Hey, I've made a list, from working with my students, of basic copular patterns around the existential verb. Ye might find them useful. I'll post the list in a new thread (the English first) then I'll try and fill in the Irish. If ye want, ye can help

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