Tá ocras orm
/ˈt̪ˠɔkɾˠəsˠ ɔɾˠəmˠ/
The Irish phrase for "I am hungry" is Tá ocras orm.
This phrase is used to state that you feel a need to eat food.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Hunger is on me".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Ulster dialect, Tá ocras orm might be modified to Tá ocras liom. In Connacht Irish, you may use Tá ocras orm go mór to add emphasis to the statement.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say someone else is hungry, replace orm (on me) with the appropriate prepositional pronoun for that person, such as ort (on you) or air (on him). To negate the phrase and say "I am not hungry", replace the verb Tá with Níl.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈt̪ˠɔkɾˠəsˠ ɔɾˠəmˠ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Tá mé ocraithe to express hunger. While English uses an adjective, Irish uses the noun ocras with a prepositional construction.
Did you know?
- Irish uses the same 'on me' structure for hunger as it does for the flu or a cold, treating both as things that have landed upon the person.
- The construction used in Tá ocras orm is also used for other physical states, such as Tá tart orm for 'I am thirsty' and Tá eagla orm for 'I am afraid'.
- The word ocras shares a common ancestor with the Scottish Gaelic and Manx forms of the word. This reflects the shared Goidelic linguistic heritage across the different Celtic languages.
Examples in context
- Tá ocras orm anois.I am hungry now.
Example conversation
Siobhán and Cian are walking home from school.
- SiobhánTá ocras orm, Cian.I am hungry, Cian.
- CianTá ocras orm freisin.I am hungry too.
- SiobhánAn mbeidh sándvíche agat?Will you have a sandwich?
- CianBeidh, déanaimid iad sa bhaile.Yes, we will make them at home.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry tá ocras orm.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ocras, orm, tá ocras orm, CC BY-SA 4.0.
