Fluent Fiction - Irish: Heartfelt Bonds: A Christmas Gift Misunderstood
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/ga/episode/2025-12-13-08-38-20-ga

Story Transcript:

Ga: Bhí teach mór clainne níos gnóthaí ná riamh an Nollaig seo.
En: The big family house was busier than ever this Christmas.

Ga: Bhí an doras tosaigh maisithe le crochta bláthanna saothair, agus bhí boladh milis fianáin ag líonadh an tí.
En: The front door was decorated with hanging wreaths, and the sweet smell of cookies was filling the house.

Ga: Thíos staighre, sa seomra suí, bhí an crann Nollag gleoite lán le soilse ag lasadh go geal.
En: Downstairs, in the living room, the crann Nollag was beautiful, filled with lights shining brightly.

Ga: Timpeall na h-áite, bhí bronntanais i bpáipéar geal, ag feitheamh lena n-oscailt.
En: Around the place, there were gifts in bright paper, waiting to be opened.

Ga: Bhí Aoife ag obair go dian ar a bronntanas.
En: Aoife was working hard on her gift.

Ga: Bhí sí ar bís.
En: She was excited.

Ga: Ba í Aoife a bhí i gceannas ar bhronntanais ghreannmhara a dhéanamh chomh maith agus ba féidir léi.
En: It was Aoife who was in charge of making funny gifts as well as she could.

Ga: Bhí a croí istigh san obair, ag tabhairt gach rud a bhí aici chun an “duais” neamhoifigiúil a bhuachan don bhronntanas is fearr.
En: She put her heart into the work, giving everything she had to win the unofficial "prize" for the best gift.

Ga: Ach ní thuig sí go raibh sí ar tí éirí as lámh leis an obair.
En: But she didn't realize she was about to go too far with her work.

Ga: Bhí Aoife déanta mar bhronntanas faoi leith do Cormac.
En: Aoife had made a special gift for Cormac.

Ga: Ba chartún mór é seo, ag magadh faoi thréimhse a ghluaise faiseanta ard scoile Cormac.
En: It was a large cartoon, teasing about Cormac's high school fashionable phase.

Ga: Bhí Aoife den tuairim go mbeadh sé cóir nó greannmhar, ach níor smaoinigh sí go maith faoi.
En: Aoife thought it would be fair or funny, but she didn't think it through.

Ga: Thosaigh an malartú bronntanais leis na gaolta uile bailithe timpeall an tseomra.
En: The gift exchange began with all the relatives gathered around the room.

Ga: Bhí gáire agus comhrá ag séideadh tríd an seomra agus fianáin á roinnt idir gach duine.
En: Laughter and conversation filled the room as cookies were shared among everyone.

Ga: Ansin tháinig tráth Cormaic bronntanas Aoife a fháil.
En: Then it came time for Cormac to receive Aoife's gift.

Ga: Nuair a d'oscail Cormac an pacáiste, bhí an pictiúr mór sin ann ag stánadh air.
En: When Cormac opened the package, there was that big picture staring at him.

Ga: Tháinig tost trom ar an seomra.
En: A heavy silence fell over the room.

Ga: Bhí cuma náire ar Cormaic.
En: Cormac looked embarrassed.

Ga: D'fhéach sé ar Aoife le súile brónacha agus amach an doras leis, an pictiúr fágtha ar an úrlár.
En: He looked at Aoife with sad eyes and walked out the door, leaving the picture on the floor.

Ga: Bhí Aoife cráite, níor chreid sí go bhféadfadh gach rud dul chomh mícheart sin.
En: Aoife was devastated; she couldn't believe everything could go so wrong.

Ga: Rith Siobhan i ndiaidh a deartháir, ach d’fhan Aoife ina seasamh, ag troid leis na deora.
En: Siobhán ran after her brother, but Aoife stayed standing, fighting back tears.

Ga: Thuig sí go raibh sí ag déanamh botún uafásach.
En: She realized she had made a terrible mistake.

Ga: Chinn sí go gcaithfeadh sí rud éigin a dhéanamh.
En: She decided she needed to do something.

Ga: Tar éis tamaill, chuaigh sí go dtí Cormac sa seomra dorcha ina raibh sé ina éineacht leis féin.
En: After a while, she went to Cormac in the dark room where he was alone.

Ga: Shuigh sí síos in aice leis.
En: She sat down next to him.

Ga: "Tá brón orm, Cormac," a dúirt sí go réidh.
En: "I'm sorry, Cormac," she said gently.

Ga: "Níor theastaigh uaim tú a ghortú.
En: "I didn't mean to hurt you.

Ga: Ní thuigim i gceart.
En: I didn't understand properly.

Ga: Is é seo mo dheis leat.
En: This is my chance with you."

Ga: "Chuir Aoife bronntanas beag isteach ina lámh.
En: Aoife placed a small gift in his hand.

Ga: Bhí sé simplí, ach práinn bríúil leis — pictiúr de Cormac agus Aoife mar pháistí, ag déanamh bolgán sneachta sa ghairdín.
En: It was simple, but it carried a meaningful urgency — a picture of Cormac and Aoife as children, making snowmen in the garden.

Ga: Bhí súilí Cormaic bog, agus gháire sé beagán.
En: Cormac's eyes softened, and he smiled a little.

Ga: "Go raibh maith agat, Aoife," a dúirt sé, "tuigim níos fearr anois.
En: "Thank you, Aoife," he said, "I understand better now."

Ga: "Agus mar sin, d’fhoghlaim Aoife ceacht luachmhar — tá sé tábhachtach smaoineamh ar na mothúcháin daoine eile níos mó.
En: And so, Aoife learned a valuable lesson — it's important to think more about other people's feelings.

Ga: Uaireanta, is fearr an bronntanas ó chroí ná an magadh is fearr sa domhan.
En: Sometimes, a heartfelt gift is better than the best joke in the world.

Ga: Agus, leis sin, tháinig deireadh sona leis an lá.
En: And with that, the day ended happily.


Vocabulary Words:

• busier: gnóthaí
• decorated: maisithe
• wreaths: bláthanna saothair
• filling: ag líonadh
• downstairs: thíos staighre
• shining: ag lasadh
• gifts: bronntanais
• charge: i gceannas
• unofficial: neamhoifigiúil
• teasing: ag magadh
• embarrassed: náire
• devastated: cráite
• mistake: botún
• meaningful: bríúil
• urgency: práinn
• valuable: luachmhar
• heartfelt: ó chroí
• properly: i gceart
• silence: tost
• gathered: bailithe
• picture: pictiúr
• softened: bog
• together: éineacht
• fight: ag troid
• tears: deora
• realize: thuig
• garden: gairdín
• phase: tréimhse
• exchange: malartú
• smile: ag gháire