I know 'mo chuid gruaige', 'mo chuid airgid', 'mo chuid fiacla', I think 'mo chuid ama'?

There may be a few more that I know, but can't think of off the top of my head. The one thing I definitely know is that I am not totally clear on the rule when to use it. I heard at some stage that it is to too with an uncountable thing, but we have a definite number of teeth so that cannot be accurate.

Is there such a rule or is it some kind of instinct? If it is the latter, I'm screwed because that instinct is extinct in me!

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I think the general rule is that you use "cuid" when talking about your "share" of something that anyone or everyone also has or may have. So, using your examples, almost everyone has hair, teeth, time, and at least some money, and you're talking about that portion of all the hair, teeth, time, or money out there that actually belongs to you.

So you would also use it when talking about, say, your cattle as opposed to all the cattle in the village, or your tea as opposed to all the tea in the world, etc.

Redwolf

What if there is no money out there that actually belongs to me? I suppose I can then use 'do chuid airgid'!

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In my notes from the other side, I have the following:

"There's a simple trick I figured out to know if you need "cuid" or not. If you can say, in English, "I have a X" then in Irish you can say "mo X". "I have a car," for example, is fine, so "mo charr" is too. But you can't say "I have a clothes" or "I have a hair" (well you can but it doesn't mean the same thing as "I have hair") so you have to say "mo chuid éadaigh" and "mo chuid gruaige."

No idea as to the validity, and I can't remember who said it, but it made sense to me.

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Táim ag foghlaim Gaelainn na Mumhan

Tá fáilte roim nach aon cheartú!
I am a learner. Any translations offered are practice and should not be used unless confirmed.

That really just distinguishes owning one thing as opposed to owning more than one thing ('hair' is different, I suppose).

You wouldn't say mo chuid lámh for 'my hands' and it doesn't fit into the bracket of 'I have a X', obviously, because it's plural.

I agree with translating mo chuid as my share when relating to potentially differing amounts from one person to another. It's a bit like saying 'my alloted amount (of hair etc.)'. 'Hands' on the other hand don't tend to differ from one person to another, except in very exceptional circumstances.

[Even if you accept what i say above, I can tell you that I have been surprised before by something that appears to contradict the above - I think we came across something like 'mo chuid súl' before].

I seem to remember being told that you can use 'cuid' when talking about prayers - cuid paidreacha (by Bríd)

definitely...

..mo chuid paidreacha a rá....

but there's nothing wrong with: ...mo phaidreacha a rá... either.

I don't know about rules... I suppose it's one of those things you heard often enough and you don't think about too much...

It is worth looking into and actually thinking about... just to see if there is a pattern...

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Bí cinnte de go nglacfaidh triúr le gach aistriúchán a thabharfar.
Be sure to get three in agreement with a translation given.

Hence the disclaimer regarding its validity. I do like the term "potentially differing amounts" as a reference, however. I'll be filing that one away in my notes.

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Táim ag foghlaim Gaelainn na Mumhan

Tá fáilte roim nach aon cheartú!
I am a learner. Any translations offered are practice and should not be used unless confirmed.

Braoin, would you say that mo ghruaig is just as valid as mo chuid gruaige? I used to think so, but there are those who insist that leaving out cuid isn't natural at all, at all. (I wonder how DoireTrasna is getting on!)

Tá scoilt i mo ghruaig agam
or
Tá scoilt sa ngruaig agam

Tá an ghruaig ag titim amach orm
Tá mo ghruaig ag titim amach
Tá mo chuid gruaige ag titim amach
...although I would choose the third one (Tá mo chuid gruaige ag titim amach) I really think it is six of one and a half dozen of the other.

but

Tá mé a chailleadh mo chuid gruaige
...would be natural to me.

... begod it's a whole area to be looked into... always something to be learnt... To be honest I'm not sure now

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Bí cinnte de go nglacfaidh triúr le gach aistriúchán a thabharfar.
Be sure to get three in agreement with a translation given.