cén chaoi a raibh do lá?
In Irish, cén chaoi a raibh do lá? is the way to say how was your day?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their experiences and feelings during the day.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, cén chaoi a raibh do lá? translates to 'what way was your day?'
Is it said differently in some regions?
The construction cén chaoi is characteristic of the Connacht dialect of Irish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the past tense of the verb bí (to be) to ask about a completed period of time. The word do is the possessive adjective for the singular second-person pronoun tú (you).
Did you know?
- The word do in the phrase functions as a possessive adjective, but its history is a result of ancient speakers confusing different past tense markers like 'ro-', 'no-', and 'do-'.
Examples in context
- 'Conas a bhí do lá?'How was your day?
Example conversation
Oisín and Saoirse are meeting at home after work.
- OisínDia duit, a Saoirse. Cén chaoi a raibh do lá?Hello, Saoirse. How was your day?
- SaoirseBa lá an-bhuartha é, go hiontach!It was a very busy day, wonderful!
- OisínAn raibh tú tuirseach?Were you tired?
- SaoirseBa mhaith liom codladh anois.I would like to sleep now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, cén, do, raibh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
