Irish: The Living Language
Discover the beauty and logic of Gaeilge, the native language of Ireland. This mastery course guides you from basic greetings to the complex mutations and rich idioms that give the Irish language its unique spirit.
Like Duolingo, but for Irish: The Living Language. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
95 levels across 10 sections, about 190 minutes end to end, roughly 38 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The First Words, How the Language Works, The Magic of Sound Changes, Describing Your World, People and Identity, The Logic of Numbers, Relationships and Belonging, The Living Language, Mastering the Hard Parts, and Heritage and the Future. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Irish: The Living Language
- The greeting is a traditional blessing rather than a secular 'hello'
- The response must include 'Muire' (Mary) to build upon the initial blessing
- Dia means God
- A simple 'Dia dhuit' back is considered incomplete in traditional etiquette
- The phrase 'Dia is Muire dhuit' is the standard polite reply
- Irish social interactions often have roots in religious well-wishing
- The 'step-up' logic of responding to an Irish greeting
- Slán is the root word for health/safety/goodbye
- The literal meaning and cultural origin of the standard Irish greeting
- The preposition changes based on whether you are the one departing or the one remaining
- Slán abhaile is specifically used for the journey home
- The language is called 'Irish' or 'Gaeilge' by locals
- 'Gaelic' is often used to describe the broader family of languages or Scottish Gaelic, but not the specific language of Ireland
- Using 'Gaeilge' shows respect for the local identity
- Distinguishing between farewells based on who is moving
- Correct terminology for the native language when speaking English in Ireland
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Irish: The Living Language the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
When someone blesses you with a greeting, what is the traditional way to 'step up' the blessing in your reply?
Get it right to open this lesson and 94 more in the app.
How to learn Irish: The Living Language, step by step
Go in order. 95 short levels across 10 sections, about 3 hours 10 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
The First Words
- Greetings and Farewells
- Essential Politeness
- 2
How the Language Works
- The Verb-First Rule
- The Missing 'Yes' and 'No'
- The Sounds of the Alphabet
- 3
The Magic of Sound Changes
- The 'H' Effect: Lenition
- The Hidden Letter: Eclipsis
- 4
Describing Your World
- Colors and Shapes
- The Two Ways to be 'Is'
- 5
People and Identity
- Family and Relationships
- Irish Names and Surnames
- 6
The Logic of Numbers
- Counting Things
- Counting People
- 7
Relationships and Belonging
- Prepositional Pronouns
- Expressing Possession
- 8
The Living Language
- The Gaeltacht Regions
- Hiberno-English
- 9
Mastering the Hard Parts
- The Genitive Case
- Plurals and Irregularities
- 10
Heritage and the Future
- Proverbs and Wisdom
- Ogham and Ancient Roots
- Modern Gaeilge and Media
- Irish in the World
- Putting it Together
10 sections · 24 units · 95 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Irish: The Living Language
How do I learn Irish: The Living Language?
Go in order: start with The First Words, then How the Language Works, then The Magic of Sound Changes, then Describing Your World, and 6 more sections after that. On Tomo that's 95 short levels, about 3 hours 10 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Irish: The Living Language?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Irish: The Living Language is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Irish: The Living Language course free?
Yes. Irish: The Living Language is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Irish: The Living Language?
95 levels across 10 sections, about 3 hours 10 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Irish: The Living Language?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Irish: The Living Language is taught in the Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Language on Tomo
German for Real Life
Go from zero to confident conversation. This mastery course covers the logic, the sounds, and the essential structures of the German language through practical, everyday scenarios.
Speak and Understand Real Filipino
Start speaking Tagalog from day one by focusing on the phrases you actually need. Move from basic survival to deep cultural connection and understanding the unique logic of the language.
Speak Korean Today
Start speaking natural Korean immediately by focusing on real conversations and daily life. Master the unique sounds and sentence patterns that make the language come alive.
Russian for Real Life
Skip the random vocabulary and start speaking Russian from day one. Master the logic of the language through real conversations, essential verbs, and the secrets of the Cyrillic soul.
Everyday Pashto
Speak and understand Pashto through real-life conversations, essential grammar patterns, and cultural etiquette. Learn to introduce yourself, shop in local bazaars, navigate hospitality customs, and read the unique sounds of the language.
Surviving Your First Day in France
Don't panic when a local speaks to you! Learn how to politely navigate conversations, ask for help, and gracefully admit your French is still a work in progress.
Start Irish: The Living Language today.
Download Tomo, search Irish: The Living Language, and play your first lesson in under a minute.