Ba mhaith liom
In Irish, the phrase for "I want" is Ba mhaith liom.
Ba mhaith liom is a polite way to express a wish or a desire for something. You can also use Tá mé ag iarraidh to say "I want."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "It would be good with me", where Ba mhaith means "would be good" and liom means "with me".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, particularly in Gaeltacht areas, Ba bhreá liom may be used instead of ba mhaith liom to express "I want."
Did you know?
- The word liom has ancient roots that involve a linguistic merging with the Old Irish word friumm, a process that obscured its original structure over centuries.
- Because Irish is a VSO language, the 'would be' part of the phrase Ba mhaith liom comes before the person who wants it.
- The word liom is a special 'prepositional pronoun' that combines the preposition 'with' and the pronoun 'me' into a single, inseparable unit.
Examples in context
- Ba mhaith liom caint leatsa.I want to talk to you.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to have a conversation with someone.Tatoeba #6042347 by Djd_9, translation #252725 by CK
- Ba mhaith liom bualadh léi arís.I want to meet her again.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to meet a female person again.Tatoeba #10317100 by koala, translation #10317058 by Ergulis
- Ba mhaith liom labhairt le d'uncail.I want to talk with your uncle.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to speak with a specific person's uncle.Tatoeba #625524 by niq, translation #70572 by CK
- Ba mhaith liom cupán taeI would like a cup of tea
- Ba mhaith liom imirt peileI want to play football
- Ba bhreá liom bheith sa bhaileI want to be at home
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Oisín and Niamh are at a café.
- OisínBa mhaith liom cupán caife, le do thoil.I would like a cup of coffee, please.
- NiamhAn dteastaíonn milis uait leis?Do you want sugar with it?
- OisínNí hea, ba mhaith liom an caife dubh.No, I would like the coffee black.
- NiamhCeart go leor, Oisín. Beidh sé réidh go luath.Alright, Oisín. It will be ready soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ba, liom, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
