GAEILGE · Dia duit
Learn Irish online with a private tutor
A Celtic language that puts the verb first and changes the start of words, and an exam series where speaking is 40% of the mark at A1.
- Native name
- Gaeilge
- Speakers
- 1.9M
- Lesson length
- 25 / 50 / 80
What the Irish levels mean
Teachers describe lessons using the Common European Framework. Not sure of yours? Your teacher will work it out with you in your first lesson.
- A1Beginner
Introduce yourself and handle very simple, predictable exchanges.
- A2Elementary
Cope with routine tasks — shopping, directions, simple description of your background.
- B1Intermediate
Handle most travel situations and explain opinions on familiar topics.
- B2Upper-intermediate
Hold a fluent, spontaneous conversation with a native speaker without strain on either side.
- C1Advanced
Use the language flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes.
- C2Proficient
Understand virtually everything heard or read, and express yourself with precision.
Kinds of Irish lesson
Teachers list what they specialise in, so you can match on purpose rather than on price alone.
Irish tutors for beginners
Teachers who work with absolute beginners every day and can run a first Irish lesson entirely in a language you share.
Conversational Irish tutors
Lessons that are mostly you talking. For learners who can read Irish but freeze when someone answers back.
Business Irish tutors
Meetings, email, negotiation and presentations — Irish for the situations your job actually puts you in.
Irish tutors for kids
Teachers experienced with children, who keep Irish lessons short, build them around games, and keep a parent in the loop.
Irish exam preparation tutors
Teachers who know the Irish exam formats, mark to the real rubric, and work backwards from your test date.
Intensive Irish courses
Several Irish lessons a week with homework between them, for learners with a deadline rather than a hobby.
Native Irish speaking tutors
Teachers who grew up speaking Irish, for accent work, idiom and the register textbooks never cover.
Irish grammar tutors
Focused work on the Irish structures that keep breaking, with exercises built from your own mistakes.
Irish exams we have written about
TEG
Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge — Maynooth University's Irish exams, A1–C1
Questions about learning Irish
How long does it take to learn Irish?
It depends entirely on where you are starting from and what you need Irish for. A specific goal — an exam, an interview, a move — is far more useful for planning than a general target.
How much do Irish lessons cost?
Each Irish teacher decides which lesson lengths they offer and sets a price for each — you see both before booking. Many teachers also sell lesson packages at their own price, usually cheaper per lesson. If you are still choosing, you can top up your wallet instead and spend the balance with any teacher — nothing is tied to one person.
Should I learn Irish with a native speaker?
For pronunciation, idiom and register, yes — a native ear catches things a textbook cannot. For grammar explanations early on, a teacher who learned Irish as a second language themselves is often clearer, because they remember finding it hard. Many learners use both, and there is no rule against switching.
Can I learn Irish from absolute zero?
Yes. Filter for teachers who work with beginners and your first lessons will be run partly in a language you already share, shifting into Irish as you gain ground. You do not need to prepare anything beforehand.
Which Irish exams can I prepare for?
We have written guides to TEG (Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge — Maynooth University's Irish exams, A1–C1), each read on the examining body's own pages.
Free Irish guides
All Irish guides →Other languages on KoloLingo
- Learn English
- Learn Spanish
- Learn French
- Learn German
- Learn Italian
- Learn Portuguese
- Learn Ukrainian
- Learn Russian
- Learn Polish
- Learn Japanese
- Learn Chinese
- Learn Korean
- Learn Arabic
- Learn Turkish
- Learn Dutch
- Learn Norwegian
- Learn Swedish
- Learn Finnish
- Learn Danish
- Learn Czech
- Learn Greek
- Learn Estonian
- Learn Latvian
- Learn Icelandic
- Learn Lithuanian
- Learn Slovenian
- Learn Hungarian
- Learn Croatian
- Learn Romanian
- Learn Luxembourgish
- Learn Slovak
- Learn Bulgarian
- Learn Hebrew
- Learn Indonesian