I've taken to the sites you've mentioned, starting with Duolingo as you suggested. Burning question, do you use the phrases Dia duit and Dia is Muire duit etc., or would you shy away from them?
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Awesome! Best of luck in your learnings!
As for the phrases, I use them, the former more frequently (or Dia Daoibh, if plural), but mostly because no one greets me in Irish and so I never have the chance to say the second in a conversation setting :c
Reason I ask is that many Irish teens would just settle with 'Conas atá tú?' instead, because of the real meanings behind 'Dia duit' and 'Dia is Muire duit'. Quite frankly, I have no problem with the real meanings at all is what I'm trying to hint at.
It's all good. Let me think... I sometimes use introductions like,
(singlar / plural)
"Dia (duit / daoibh)," + "mo (chara / chairde):" + "conas atá (tu / sibh) inniu?"
or
"Dia (duit / daoibh)," + "mo (chara / chairde):" + "cad é mar atá (tú / sibh) inniu?"
Either way, it means
"Hello, my friends: how are you today?"
To say just "Hello, friends:"
"Dia (duit / daoibh)," + "a (chara / chairde):"
That's an example of what's called the "vocative case"... the best I understand it to be, is that it's like when you're calling out to someone by name, whether in conversation, or shouting in alarm, or in command, etc.
You might also make note of the time of day :)
"Maidin mhaith, a chairde."
"Good morning, friends." (In Focloir, this is listed as "Good morning, everyone." (daaaaw, the warm, fuzzy implications <3))
Anyway, if you have more questions, or you just want some practice, I'm more than happy to help with whatever knowledge I have :)
Troisnyx
Oh, to see someone speak Irish is such a joy. No, I don't speak it well, but I'd like to learn it. <3
7ceeeee (Updated )
Go raibh maith agat :D <3
I'm gradually learning it myself, but it's been slow, because I have no one to practice it with... or maybe that's just an excuse for my laziness, lol
I started by completing the course on Duolingo.com and then began learning from various other sources. Nualeargais.com is surprisingly comprehensive, and Teanglann.ie and Focloir.ie are great for understanding in what context words typically get used, and how to say things in more than one way. From there, you can string words or entire blocks of words together to make a sentence. The hard part is figuring out HOW to do that from SVO order to VSO order. :) It took me a solid year and a half of on-and-off learning, probably, and it didn't really click until I started reading Nancy Stenson's Irish Grammar and Workbook, which I absolutely recommend. Honestly, though, Duolingo first: for as purist-lambasted as it can be at times, I wouldn't have gotten half of where I am without learning it. At the price of a few mistakes here and there, you can end up with a nice foundation, which you can always correct as you go. ;)
And for whatever you know, feel free to speak to me, as Gaeilge, any time you want to practice with someone!