tá mé aon bhliain déag d'aois
The Irish phrase for "I am eleven years old" is tá mé aon bhliain déag d'aois.
This phrase is used to make a statement expressing a person's current age.
What does it mean word for word?
The component aon bhliain déag d'aois literally translates to "eleven years of age".
Did you know?
- The word bhliain changes its spelling from bliain because of a grammatical rule called lenition. This happens because it follows the word aon, which triggers a sound change at the start of the following word.
- The word déag is a contraction of a phrase that literally means 'and ten'. This means that in Irish, the number eleven is conceptually built as 'one and ten'.
- While English uses one word for 'eleven', Irish uses a compound of aon and déag. This pattern of 'one and ten' is mirrored in other Celtic languages like Scottish Gaelic and Manx.
Example conversation
Two children are introducing themselves at school.
- CathalCáit an bhfuil tú?Where are you from?
- AoifeIs as Corcaigh mé. Tá mé aon bhliain déag d'aois.I am from Cork. I am eleven years old.
- CathalTá mé aon bhliain déag d'aois freisin!I am eleven years old too!
- AoifeAn bhfuil tú sa chéad rang?Are you in first class?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aon, déag, mé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
