So, our kids have been exposed to Irish language mostly through songs so far, but now that they are fluent in Japanese and well-established on their way to getting their heads around English, we've started to introduce them to Irish conversation and are running into our first little hurdles.

Being able to discuss politics in a language is great but not very helpful in the early years of raising a family. We need to find out the very basics of dealing with toddlers and young children through the medium of Irish language.

There are good resources out there but I also find gaps here and there, so I hope to be able to help people fill in those gaps (as well as my own) by asking the questions here on the forum in a series of threads.

One of the first words to come up short for me was "hug" or "cuddle".

De Bhaldraithe has barróg and ceann croí for "hug". I've heard of barróg before but how is a ceann croí different? And for "cuddle", I've seen diurnú and gráín?

Something tells me barróg is originally "grappling" as in a wrestling term that has expanded to cover the more general concept of hugging, and diurnú is more like intimate adult cuddling between couples. Would that be correct?

Gráín sounds more like the kind of hug or cuddle you'd give or ask of a small child. Does that sound right?

How do you yourselves use these terms?

Then there is the request "Give me a hug!". How would you express that when talking to a three-year-old? Beir barróg orm ! ? Cuir barróg orm ! ? Déan gráín liom ! (I suppose just Gráín ! or Barróg ! would be sufficient, but I'd still like to learn how to say the complete request.)

Hopefully native speakers and others raising their children in Irish will share their experiences and hard-earned knowledge with us.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

We had:

Tabhair dom barróigín (a hug - a cuddle)

Tabhair dom póigín (a peck on the cheek, usually accompanied by a little hug)

... and whatever little variations on the same:

...an dtabharfaidh tú...., etc.

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Bí cinnte de go nglacfaidh triúr le gach aistriúchán a thabharfar.
Be sure to get three in agreement with a translation given.

That's lovely, a Bhraoin. (I was just thinking it could be as simple as Tabhair dhom ... and looked in on the thread to find your reply. )

Since we are using Cois Fhairrge dialect at home, I suppose those would be:

Tabhair dhom (Toram) barróigín. (GC/GCF)

Tabhair dhom (Toram) póigín. (GC/GCF)

Other variants and dialect versions are also welcome, of course ...

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Great idea Breandán!

I'd say barróigín for a hug as well. Tabhair dhom (Trom) barróigín.

I've heard barróg for, as you said, a wrestling type grip and for a hug as well, but
I think that's firm hug between adults. Tháinig barróg ar (rud) can also be used to
say something became tight, particularly with rud = do chliabh, for a tightness of breathing.

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The dialect I use is Cork Irish.
Ar sgáth a chéile a mhairid na daoine, lag agus láidir, uasal is íseal

By adding 'ín' to many expressions, you find the kiddie-friendly version. Not to reduce the 'cuteness' of the current discussion, I'm thinking of how Bríd influenced the introduction of 'caicín' into our family conversations at home.......

We use 'beir barróg orm', but I really like the 'barróigín' version. It hadn't occurred to me and it should have. There'll be a lot more barróigíní inár dteach as seo amach!

Great idea for a series of threads, a Bhreandáin.

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Thanks for the input, Lon Dubh and Saoirse.

Each answer brings to mind new questions. Would the following work? :

Tabhair barróigín do do mháthair. "Give your mother a hug."
Tabhair barróigín do Mhamaí. "Give Mummy a hug." (CO)
Tabhair barróigín do Mhama/Mhaime/Mhaimín. "Give Mummy a hug." (GC)
Tabhair barróigín do do sheanmháthair. "Give your grandmother a hug."
Tabhair barróigín do Mhamó. "Give Grandma a hug." (CO)
Tabhair barróigín do Mhaimeo. "Give Grandma a hug." (GC)

Tugaigí póigín dhom, a leanaí "Give (pl) me a kiss, children." (CO)
Tiúraigí póigín dhom, a leanaí "Give (pl) me a kiss, children." (GC)

For plural orders, the plural form of the imperative is used, dhom goes to the end and póigín/barróigín is in the singular, since it's asking for one per child (though you could also use the plural to ask for more than one from each person.) Nach ea?

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

That's true regarding the pronunciation - I spelt it 'tabhair dom' but would normally say it as 'torrum' except where there might be a chance of it being misunderstood.

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Bí cinnte de go nglacfaidh triúr le gach aistriúchán a thabharfar.
Be sure to get three in agreement with a translation given.

On Pota Focal they also give - croí isteach

That's what I've usually heard in All-Ireland-winning County Donegal.

So, what is the Donegal version of the whole phrase?

Tabhair croí isteach domh (?)

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).