A chairde,

I am still a beginner and I am a bit confused about the various forms of "to be able to"?

So far I have always used - is féidir liom - for every expression meaning "I can".
But now I came across expressions like "tá mé in ann" and "tá mé abalta" - the gramadach na gaeilge online clearly says, that these expressions are only to use when I want to say: I have a certain ability. Is this right, because I have seen "abalta" and "in ann" used the same way like "is féidir liom"?

Thanks
M

I may be missing something blatantly obvious - and experience tells me that I probably am....... Doesn't 'I can do something' mean the same as 'I am able to do something'? In other words, they seem to be interchangeable in English as well as in Irish.

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I am sorry, my mother tongue is not english and there are many language that have an auxiliar verb for "there is the possibility to do something" and a proper verb for "to have a certain ability to do something".
There is a difference in meaning between the following sentences:
a) I can write - I have a pen.
b) I can write - I learnt it in school.

So I had the suspicion that irish might differ here, too.

(In Donegal Irish)

a) I can write - I have a pen.
= Thig liom scríobh - tá peann agam

b) I can write - I learnt it in school.
= Thig liom scríobh / Tá mé ábalta scríobh - d'fhoghlaim mé sin ar scoil.

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

I use "thig liom" when I'm talking with someone I know is familiar with Ulster Irish (otherwise I say "is féidir liom" to avoid confusion). I learned that way in Donegal to begin with and still really don't know how to ask the question forms other than in Ulster Irish. Example: An dtig leat litir a scriobh? Can you write a letter? For some reason however I use the "could" form much more in conversation like An dtiocadh leat litir a scriobh domh? (Could you write a letter for me?) An dtiocadh liom teacht ansin leatsa? (Can/could I come there with you?) It seems like when I see it in most books it's something like An bhféadfa litir a scriobh? (Can you write a letter? Not sure how they'd distinguish and say 'could you write a letter?') I never have figured it out just right in the other dialects or in the Caighdeán. I know it's not a very comprehensive way for me to speak, but I just learned to say certain thoughts in one way and they stick in my brain that way. And frankly I'm just glad to speak it in any way at all.

thig liom and its variants also exist in Connachta, as far as I know... i don't remember the forms but they are in Learning Irish, maybe tigeann liom or sthg like that



yeah, btw in Ulster (and Connachta) the verbal noun of "to come" (and of "to go" as well) is preceded by a and is always lenited except when preceded by "ag":

an dtiocfadh liom (a) theacht ansin leat?
(but: tá mé ag teacht, pronounced "tá mé 'teacht")



an bhféadfá is "could you" in Munster Irish.
"Féad" exists elsewhere too, but not always used in that way. As far as I know, in Ulster we can say "féadann duit", you can, etc (no subject, and the person is introduced by the preposition "do").



that's fine, if what you use is what native speakers say it's perfect keep using them
There are many patterns with all these modal verbs (can, may, could, might, would, will etc etc) in Irish, it's hard to learn from books all the forms that exist in one dialect (because you can't find them in scholarly books). Actually, the best way to verify (if you can't go to the Gaeltacht) is to ask native speakers in the facebook group "Gaeilge Amháin" There are several native speakers from Donegal there

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Do scríobh an t-Athair Peadar "thiocfadh liom" ina shaothar. Dar le Músgraígh eile, do fuair sé
i seanaleabhair i leabharlann Mhaighe Nuadhat é, agus d'fhág sé ina chuid cainte as san amach.

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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

I definitely heard this years ago in primary school.

Focail eile atá gaolmhar don cheist: b'fhéidir = maybe, féidireachtaí = possibilities

Gheobhainn and Ní bhfuighinn are used more commonly than D(h)'fhéadfainn and ní (dh)'fhéadfainn for I could and I couldn't in Déise Irish.

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Please wait for corrections/ more input from other forum members before acting on advice