"Tá fásach san Astráil."

Translation: There is a desert in Australia.

[roentgen]

Tá níos mó ná aon, mate.

[iad58g]

níos mó ná aon cheann amháin?

[hec10tor]

aren't you missing a "mate"?

[roentgen]

Cad is brí le "mate" as Gaeilge? Níl a fhíos agam. Ceapaim go bhfuil "cara" ró-foirmúla.

[SatharnPHL]

"cad is brí le "mate" as Gaeilge?" means "what does "mate" mean in Irish?". That's the wrong question, because "mate" doesn't mean anything in Irish.

"Cad é an Ghaeilge ar "mate"?" is how you ask "What is the Irish for "mate"?"

"a chara" or "a chomrádaí" are probably the best choices in this particular context.

[roentgen]

Whoops.

Tá níos mó ná cheann amháin.

[amharcais]

Nach ait é go bhfuil an focal 'fás' ann mar fréamh an ainm d'áit nach bhfásann rudaí ann?

[roentgen]

Is ceart tú: tá sé uafásach ar fad.

[Silverflam3]

Why is it "san Astráil" and "i gCeanada"? Are "sa" and "i" interchangeable here?

[Knocksedan]

No, i and sa aren't interchangeable.

Most countries require a definite article, so you have to use sa with those countries, or, as in this case, san when the country starts with a vowel.. A small number of countries don't require the use of the definite article - Ceanada is one of them, so it's just i gCeanada.

The most common countries that don't require the use of the definite article are Éirinn, Sasana, Albainn, Meiriceá and Ceanada.

[Silverflam3]

Go raibh maith agat!