I’m in a kind of similar situation to Bríd: I’ve never spoken English with my parents (only Danish), but growing up, English was all around me. By some strange coincidence, we had five or six English-speaking neighbours where we lived until I was nine (a mixture of Brits and Americans), so I spoke English with them. And then of course there’s the ubiquity of English in all media and music here, though that will only give you passive English skills.



That depends on the situation. If I’m in Denmark and have been going about my business in Danish for a while, I’d think in Danish. If I’m in an English-speaking country (or a non-English-speaking country where I have to speak English all the time, even) and have been communicating in English more than Danish, I’d probably think in English.

Although this is a bit of a false dichotomy, since, ultimately, we don’t think in any particular language unless we intend to turn our thoughts into utterances.


This I can agree with completely. ‘Naturalness’ is always a sliding scale: what sounds perfectly natural to one person may sound a bit odd to another; and what sounds a bit idiosyncratic to one person can sound completely unacceptable and strange to another.

The English version here doesn’t sound downright unnatural to me (my initial post lacked a few modifiers), but in my personal world of naturalness scales, it would flow better (stylistically) if the vocative was either put between the clauses, or if it was separated even more from them, by using a colon instead of a comma, for example.



Edit: This here:

— just made me realise I’ve completely neglected to add a signature here. Will rectify immediately. I thought I’d done that ages ago!

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Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

Yes and no, even in that level of seeming non-linguistic thought there are patterns of analysis that are better prepared for a conversion into one language than another. It affects what you look at in the world. Native languages get hard-wired at that level at an early age. If your native language requires that you remain aware of absolute direction then you develop a habit of doing that at the most basic level even when not verbalizing.

Having spent nearly half of my life immersed in an Asian culture that requires observation of who is socially above or below whom, I developed the habit, as well as habits of politeness and courtesy not required in English-speaking world, but no matter how long I stayed it would never have come as naturally as if I had been born and raised there.

Similarly, I understand that Mandarin Chinese has four tones and I can reproduce them to near-native level but I know I don't hear them the same way as a Chinese person who has had them hardwired in as a child. It is simply not possibly to learn these things in the same way once brain development has proceeded beyond a particular point. I am luckier than some in that early exposure has kept certain circuits open that would otherwise be closed in a monoglot native speaker of English, but there are some doors that were already closed by the time I became actively interested in the language.

Do you really think that your ability at using English can ever be as solid as your ability at using Danish?

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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).

Back to the translation, how do people feel about these two versions:

1. A athair, go gcasfar le chéile arís sinne, go gcoinní Dia i mbois a láimhe thú

2. A athair, go gcasfar le chéile sinn arís, go gcoinní Dia i mbois a láimhe thú.

Please confirm your preference, 1., 2., or both (unless you have another for the pot, 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).

I know that depends on the indvidual.
But I don't see why not as Koko had early exposure to English. If he had learnt English as an adult that would be different. I can speak English effortlessy. I know I could never ever speak another language that well no matter how much I study it (actually my brains seems to have closed completely to learning any new language).

I don't know about Danish but I believe Swedish has intonations that are very hard for learners to get right.

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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This is true—but the structural and conceptual differences between English and Danish are so small that I don’t think it causes any measurable difference in patterns of analysis.


I don’t know about ‘solid’—in some ways, I think my English is already as solid as my Danish. What it isn’t at the moment (at least in some aspects or situations) is as intuitive and innate as Danish. I’m aware that it’s not. But I’m fairly certain that, if I were to move to an English-speaking country and use English exclusively as my day-to-day language (especially if, for whatever reason, I eschewed Danish in the progress), it wouldn’t take all that long for my English to become as instinctive and intuitive as my Danish. In fact, I don’t think it would take that long for it to take over and for Danish to become my second language. Even after being in Ireland for just three weeks, I can feel my Danish weakening and losing ground to English.


I prefer the second one here. I see no reason for the emphatic pronoun; it feels more distracting than aiding.

Whether to say arís sinn or sinn arís doesn’t make much difference in my head. I would of course, Ulsterite that I am, say muid instead.

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Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

[Just to be clear by father you mean both your birth-father AND your adopted-father. But only one of them is deceased? But you don't want it in plural.[/quote]

My adoptive father died many years ago when I was 12. I have found my birthmother but believe my birthfather to be dead as I can find no information on him. So I am going on the assumption that he is passed, but wish to pay tribute to both men, because after all, without either one, I wouldn't be either here, or who I am today...

And let me say this has been fascinating to me to see your comments, even they are way more deep than I ever expected! :-) I thank you all for your input and time. It may be "just a tattoo" to some but it has great meaning to me and I appreciate the help and kindness of strangers.

If I understand you correctly, though, you’d want the tattoo to be in the singular, right? ’Cause one tattoo would be in English, addressing one father; and the other would be in Irish, addressing the other father—yes?

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Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

A Bhríd,
Bheadh tú in ann aon teanga a fhoghlaim, ceapaim. Thosaigh mé fhéin ar chúrsa i dteanga eile cúpla bliain ó shin. Bhí faitíos orm mar is iomaí an lá a raibh mise ag staidéar.
Ach dar ndóigh, d'éirigh liom sa chúrsa,

Cinnte, bhuail mé le deacrachtaí, ach sin é mac an tsaoil.

If I understand you correctly, though, you’d want the tattoo to be in the singular, right? ’Cause one tattoo would be in English, addressing one father; and the other would be in Irish, addressing the other father—yes?[/quote]

Yes- you understand my ideas perfectly. One wish for one man, another wish for another man, even though it's the same wish. Clear as mud, eh?

Getting closer to getting my tattoo and would love to know how to say:

A athair, go gcasfar le cheile sinn aris, go gcoinni Dia i mbois a laimhe thu.
(Father, until we meet again, may God hold you in the hallow (palm) of His hand.

Many thanks,
Angie