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So-sheasmhachd

B1
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sg-star
Complete for 2 points

Bilingual transcription: Is/bu

Bilingual transcription: Improve/worsen

Watch this clip where Joy gives us some of her useful tips and favourite phrases.

The Gaelic verb Is can be heard in many common constructions, like Is toil leam, Is urrainn dhomh, and of course ’S e (Is e).

The past or conditional form of Is is Bu: Bu toil leam, I would like, or B’ urrainn dhomh, I could. But IS is also heard in comparative and superlative phrases. It’s the S of nas in nas fheàrr(better),or nas dorra(more difficult).

And it’s heard in the AS of as fheàrr(best), as dorra(hardest).

So, in past or conditional sentences you’ll hear the comparative nas change to Na bu, oir simple Na b’.

Bhiodh e na b’ fheàrr, It would be better, na b’ fheàrr rather than nas fheàrr. Or Bha e na bu dorra It was harder,

And the superlative As changes to A Bu: the longest road is an rathad as fhaide. But ‘We took the longest road’: Ghabh sinn an rathad a b’fhaide.

Why don’t you have a go at this task! If you have a Gaelic–speaking friend, you could do this together. If you don’t—no problem—you can have double the fun!

Think or talk about the weather in the country where you live.

We’ve given you a head start with these questions:

A bheil an aimsir …

Is the weather …

… a’ fàs nas miosa?

… getting worse?

… a’ fàs nas fliuiche?

… getting wetter?

… a’ fàs nas caochlaidiche?

… more changeable?

… a’ fàs nas stoirmeile?

… getting stormier?

… a’ fàs nas teotha?

… getting hotter?

… a’ fàs nas blàithe?

… getting warmer?

A bheil thu a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil a’ ghnàth–shìde …

Do you think that the climate is …

… a’ dol am miosad?

… worsening?

… a’ dol am feabhas?

… improving?

… a’ dol an teothad?

… getting hotter?

… a’ dol am blàithead?

… getting warmer?