In this section we’re going to look at how we assess our abilities and progress.
Thèid agam air sin a dhèanamh.
I can manage (to do) that
Tha mi math air bruidhinn.
I’m good at talking.
‘S toil leam a bhith ag èisteachd.
I like listening.
Tha mi comasach air leughadh sa Ghàidhlig.
I can read (I am capable at reading) in Gaelic.
Tha cuimhne mhath agam air làithean na sgoile, ach …
I remember schooldays well, but …
… cha tèid agam air gnìomhairean neo-riaghailteach aithris!
… but I can’t recite irregular verbs!
Chan eil mi eòlach air ainmean-àite.
I don’t know place names.
Chan eil mi math air sgrìobhadh anns a’ Ghàidhlig.
I’m not good at writing in Gaelic.
Cha toil leam a bhith ann an clas mòr.
I don’t like being in a big class.
Feumaidh mi tuilleadh briathrachais ionnsachadh!
I need to learn more vocabulary!
Pardon?
Listening is key to learning any language. In conversations you may find you haven’t caught or understood all that’s been said, for one reason or another. We’ve all been there!
Let’s have a look at some phrases you can try out in these situations.
Gabh mo leisgeul.
Excuse me.
Chan eil mi gad thuigsinn.
I don’t understand you.
Dè bha thu a’ ciallachadh?
What did you mean?
An can thu sin gu slaodach?
Can you (Will you) say that slowly?
B’ àill leibh?
Pardon?
Can sin a-rithist.
Say that again.
Abair sin a-rithist.
Say that again.
Dè bha thu ag ràdh?
What were you saying?
Dè bha sin?
What was that?
An can thu sin nas slaodaiche?
Can you say that more slowly?
Bha sin ro luath dhomh.
That was too fast for me.
Chan eil mi a’ dèanamh bun no bàrr dheth.
I can’t make head nor tail of it.
And if you find yourself wondering if someone didn’t understand something you said, try these:
A bheil thu gam thuigsinn?
Do you understand me?
An do thuig thu sin?
Did you understand that?
An robh mi a’ bruidhinn ro luath?
Was I speaking too fast?
How do I say it?
And of course, now that you have these to hand, you’ll want some useful phrases that you can use when you want to say something in Gaelic but don’t quite know how to express it.
Ciamar a chanas mi …?
How do I say …?
Ciamar a chanas tu …?
How do you say …?
An robh sin ceart?
Was that right?
Dè a’ Ghàidhlig a th’ air … ?
What is the Gaelic for …?
Dè tha sin sa Ghàidhlig?
What is that in Gaelic?
Talking about learning Gaelic is something you will no doubt encounter on a regular basis! You may be chatting with family and friends, or with other learners, or even in class with a teacher. You may hear questions like this:
Cuin a thòisich thu ag ionnsachadh?
When did you start learning?
A bheil cuimhne agad air …?
Do you remember …?
An do rinn thu SpeakGaelic A1 is A2?
Did you do SpeakGaelic A1 and A2?
Dè dh’ionnsaich thu air a’ chùrsa sin?
What did you learn on that course?
A bheil thu eòlach air …?
Do you know …?
Am faca tu…?
Did you see …?
An cuala tu …?
Did you hear …?
And as you progress through this topic, you’ll learn different ways to answer these questions!