# Scottish Gaelic: tips for learning



## bb3ca201

Hello to all!

I know that Scottish Gaelic ISN'T a common language but, if there is anyone out there wanting tips, you can e-mail me.

I provide a few starters:

1) Learn the verb "to be" in the present tense -- "tha" (pronounced "ha", as if you're laughing). It's the same for all persons

2) the subject pronouns:
mi (pronounced "mee") - I                 
thu ("oo") - you (sg)
e ("eh") - he
i ("ee") - she

sinn ("shin") - we
sibh ("sibh") - you (pl, and polite sg)
iad ("ee-ad") - they


----------



## vince

Questions:
th is pronounced h?

when does s adopt the sh sound?


----------



## bb3ca201

Hi Vince,

Yes, "th" is usually pronounced "h" -- except in "thu" and "fhathast" (yet), where it's silent.

Also, "s" sounds like "sh" in the following combinations: "se" and "si"


----------



## avalon2004

I feel really quite ashamed that I don't know much Gaelic because my grandmother speaks it and all her family used to use it as their first language...This is all I know:

*Ciamar a tha sibh*- How are you (formal) _(keeamar a har shuh)_
*Tha mi gu math*- I'm fine
*Tapadh leibh*- Thank you (formal) _(tapa'lay)_
*Is math sin*- That's good _(ismashin)_
*Glè math*- Very good _(glaymath)_
*Alba*- Scotland _(aluba)_

I think that's right. I remember that you had to alter the pronunciation of names sometimes as well..And that's my limit. Terrible I know, but I don't even think my grandmother would use it nowadays..
I just felt like sharing that, I know it's not 100% relevant!


----------



## Outsider

bb3ca201 said:


> sibh ("sibh") - you (pl, and polite sg)


Pronounced "siv", I believe...


----------



## MarcB

Helpful links here


----------



## Setwale_Charm

Outsider said:


> Pronounced "siv", I believe...


 
 shiv, actually. but it is used only for plural, not as a polite form of "you'


----------



## ceann-feachd

Actually, *sibh* is used for both the polite AND plural forms.

Some other useful phrases:

*Cò às a tha sibh/thu?
*_coh ahs uh hah shiv/oo_
Where are you from?
*
Càit' a bheil an taigh-beag?
*_cahch uh vel uhn tie bek_
Where is the bathroom (or lavatory for you BE speakers)?

*Ceud mìle fàilte!
*_KEE-uht  MEE-leh FAHL-cheh
_One hundred thousand welcomes!

*A bheil Gàidhlig agaibh/agad?*
_Uh vel GAH-lig AHK-ev/AHK-uht
_Do you speak Gaelic?

*Tha mi toilichte ur coinneachadh.*
_hah mee TOH-leex__-cheh ur COHN-nyuh-khuhgh_
I'm happy to meet you.
This one might be a bit tricky to pronounce. When I put the _x_ in the phonetics, it should be pronounced like the _h_ in the word _hue_. And even then, barely noticeable. _KH_ like the _ch_ in the word _loch. _And _gh_ there is no English equivalent to. Try pronouncing a _g_ in the back of the throat without blocking airflow. Almost sounds like gargling mouthwash.


----------



## bb3ca201

You guys all deserve gold medals for your knowledge!

Yes, indeed "sibh" is pronounced "Shiv".  And all the Gaelic phrases posted are correct.

Math gu leor!

Rob


----------



## bb3ca201

avalon2004
I feel really quite ashamed that I don't know much Gaelic because my grandmother speaks it and all her family used to use it as their first language...This is all I know:

*Ciamar a tha sibh*- How are you (formal) _(keeamar a har shuh)_
*Tha mi gu math*- I'm fine
*Tapadh leibh*- Thank you (formal) _(tapa'lay)_
*Is math sin*- That's good _(ismashin)_
*Glè math*- Very good _(glaymath)_
*Alba*- Scotland _(aluba)_

To Avalon2004 and Ceann-Feachd (cool name!): excellent!  And yes, 'tha mi toilichte ur coinneachadh" is hard to pronounce.  The "ch" in toilichte is probably better understood as the "ch" in Scottish "loch" or "ch" in the German pronounciation of "bach".

A few other useful words:

ciamar (a tha thu/sibh) - how (are you?)
De (short for old "ciod e") - What?

And the question form of "to be" is indeed "am bheil?" (in quick speech pronounced "ah vil")

Normally, "to speak" with and about someone is

a' bruidhinn (a brooiyeen) ri (ree) - to speak to
a' bruidhinn mu dheidhinn (moo yayinn) - to speak about OR
a' bruidhinn air (pronounced just like English "air")

Any more tips, e-mail me!  Keep up the fantastic work!

Rob


----------



## ceann-feachd

bb3ca201 said:


> The "ch" in toilichte is probably better understood as the "ch" in Scottish "loch" or "ch" in the German pronounciation of "bach".
> 
> De (short for old "ciod e") - What?



Remember, the _i_ before the _ch_ makes it slender, so it's not quite as hard as the _ch _in _loch_. Perhaps as the German _Ich_. The sound is almost unintelligeable in the word, but it's there.

Also, don't forget... Dè is spelled with the grave accent.

Also, _glè _causes lenition. So it should be _glè mhath_. (pronounced _glay vah_)

Some other phrases as well:

*Dè a' phrìs a tha seo/sin?
*_jay uh freesh uh hah shoh/shin
_What does this/that cost? (The _D_ in _Dè _can also be pronounced as an English _D_, depending on the local dialect)

*Bu toigh leam ...*
_bu toy lem
_I would like ...

*'S toigh leam ...*
_stoy lem_
I like ...

*Cèic
*_kayk_
Cake

*Cofaidh*
_COH-fee_
Coffee

*Cearc*
_kehrk
_Chicken

*Cupa teatha*
_CU-pa tay
_a cup of tea

*Glainne uisge
*_GLAAN-nyeh USH-keh_
Glass of water

*Am faod mi ... ?
*_ahm fao__d mee
_May I ... ? (the _ao_ combination doesn't have an English equivalent. It's kind of like the _u_ in _fur _but without the r sound, and without rounding the lips)

*Faodaidh tu ...*
_FAO-dee too
_You may ...

*Tha an t-acras orm.
*_hah uhn TAH-cruhs awrum.
_I'm hungry.

*Tha am pathadh orm.
*_hah uhm PAH-ugh awrum.
_I'm thirsty.


More will come later!


----------



## mytwolangs

How close are the irish and Scottish Gaelic? Are they pretty close, in the same way that American and UK English are quite close but not exact?


----------



## Setwale_Charm

Oh no! You won`t be able to understand much of Scottish Gaelic if you know just Irish. In reading probably, yes, one does recognise a lot. Also when learning you are bound to perceive a lot of similarities. I shall probably rather compare that to Latvian and Lithuanian or Polish /Czech maybe?


----------



## Setwale_Charm

avalon2004 said:


> I feel really quite ashamed that I don't know much Gaelic because my grandmother speaks it and all her family used to use it as their first language...This is all I know:
> 
> *Ciamar a tha sibh*- How are you (formal) _(keeamar a har shuh)_
> *Tha mi gu math*- I'm fine
> *Tapadh leibh*- Thank you (formal) _(tapa'lay)_
> *Is math sin*- That's good _(ismashin)_
> *Glè math*- Very good _(glaymath)_
> *Alba*- Scotland _(aluba)_
> 
> I think that's right. I remember that you had to alter the pronunciation of names sometimes as well..And that's my limit. Terrible I know, but I don't even think my grandmother would use it nowadays..
> I just felt like sharing that, I know it's not 100% relevant!


 
 As a matter of fact, Tapadh is pronounced with an aspiration before p (in standard Gaedhlig at least). This is a complicated thing about Scottish Gaelic: loads of "invisible" aspirations. So 'thank you' to one person will be: Tapadh leat (TaHpa LyaHt).


----------



## bb3ca201

Yes, ceann-feachd is right.  I know where the accents go (I do speak the language), but my word processor doesn't allow them.  I'd have to cut and paste each one individually -- I don't have Microsoft Word.

Anyway, next time I'll try to be more precise.


----------



## ceann-feachd

Tuilleadh abairtean, mar a thubhairt mi na bu thràithe. Tha mi an dòchas gu bheil iad feumail dhuibh a tha ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig.

More phrases, as I said earlier. I hope they are useful to you who are learning Gaelic.


The present tense of the verb _to be_, or _tha_ in Gaelic can be combined with other verbs (or rather, verbal nouns) via the preposition _ag _(at) to describe something happening right now. Before consonants _ag_ is shortened to _a'_. One exception is the word _ràdh_ -- saying.

Some examples:
_Tha mi a' bruidhinn._
I am speaking.

_Tha thu a' dol._
You are going.

_Tha e ag ràdh.
_He is saying.

_A bheil i a' tighinn?
_Is she coming? (_A bheil_ is the question form of _tha_)

_Tha sinn a' cèilidh._
We are visiting.

_Tha sibh ag ionnsachadh._
You are learning.

_Tha iad a' leughadh.
_They are reading.

There are also several other useful phrases that you need to know.

_Tha mi duilich.
_I am sorry.

_Gabh mo leisgeul._
Pardon me/excuse me. (This is the informal/familiar version)

_Gabhaibh mo leisgeul._
Pardon me/excuse me. (This is the formal/polite and plural version)

_Tha mi duilich sin a chluinntinn.
_I'm sorry to hear that.

Some more information about Gaelic. There exists in Gaelic no verb equivalent to the English  _have_, when indicating possession. So how possession is expressed is with the verb _tha_ (present tense of _be_) and the preposition _aig_ (at).

For example, to say "Seumas has a cat," you would say...
_Tha cat aig Seumas._
This literally means, "A cat is at Seumas." It sounds unnatural to an English speaker, but it is quite natural in Gaelic.

_Aig_ also combines with pronouns. So when you want to say, "I have a cat," "you have a cat," etc, you must use these forms.
_agam
_at me
_
agad_
at you (informal/familiar)

_aige
_at him

_aice_
at her

_againn
_at us
_
agaibh
_at you (formal/polite and plural)

_aca_
at them

So, to say "I have a cat," you would say...
_Tha cat agam._

You would substitute the appropriate contraction for the appropriate person.

Incidentally, this is also how you express ability to speak a language.
_Tha Gàidhlig agam._
I speak Gaelic. (Literally, "I have Gaelic," or "Gaelic is at me.")

_Tha Beurla aig Seumas._
Seumas speaks English.

That's it for now. Here are some other verbal nouns that can be used in the constructions I demonstrated farther above.

_coimhead -- _watching
_sealltainn --_ looking
_dràibheadh --_ driving
_èisteachd -- _listening
_fuireach --  _living
_aontachadh --_ agreeing
_smaoineachadh -- _thinking
_tòiseachadh -- _starting
_cèilidh -- _visiting
_faireachdainn -- _feeling
_dèanamh_ -- doing _or_ making


----------

