FAQS
How do I type the Gaelic accents?
You can just copy and paste these
Lowercase letters
Uppercase letters
Keyboard shortcuts
Windows
Some simple ways to type grave accents in MS Windows, depending on which version you use. The grave accent ` is next to the number 1 at top of keyboard
à, è, ì, ò, ù Ctrl+`, release and type letter;
À, È, Ì, Ò, Ù Ctrl+Shift+`, release and type letter
OR
Alt key + character code on the numeric keypad on right of keyboard (laptops will vary). Ensure that the NUMLOCK is on.
à Alt+133 or 0224
è Alt+138 or 0232
ì Alt+141 or 0236
ò Alt+149 or 0242
ù Alt+151 or 0249
À Alt+0192
È Alt+0200
Ì Alt+0204
Ò Alt+0210
Ù Alt+0217
Mac
Push and hold a character to bring up a menu and choose.
E.g. hold the letter e to choose the letter è
What is the Gaelic Alphabet?
> Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu
For more information visit LearnGaelic’s Scottish Gaelic Alphabet https://learngaelic.scot/scottish-gaelic-alphabet.jsp
How do I pronounce Gaelic sounds?
SpeakGaelic always gives you a sound file for the word you are learning. For more information on individual sounds, visit LearnGaelic’ Sounds section https://learngaelic.scot/sounds/index.jsp
What are slender and broad vowels?
The slender vowels are e and i.
All the others are broad.
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Go into the incomplete section and follow the all the steps in the section to complete the topic.
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You can tell how many steps are in each section by the score on the counter at the top of the page.
How can I see what steps I have missed out?
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This will pull out all an index of all the pages and you can see your progress – a completed section will have a big green tick, an incomplete section will be empty. To resolve, navigate to the incomplete pages. If a quiz has not been completed it will be blue. if it is complete, the quiz icon is green.
Extra step for small screens
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If you think you have been unfairly treated, let us know. We may have a mistake in that particular test and we will fix it. Either use the contact form or send us an email at fios@speakgaelic.scot. Please send us the quiz title at the top of page (or URL) with a short description of error. If you can send a screengrab, that will help us identify the issue.
Can you translate something for me?
We are a tiny wee team and our main focus is on our resources. There are also professional translators who will talk you through your requirements and provide appropriate translations (some words may be context-dependent). We can send you a list of professional translators if you need them.
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dham ionnsaigh
towards me
To talk about crime, we need to look at new compound prepositions.
We often use the preposition a dh’ionnsaigh (towards) with this topic and the prepositions a dh’aindeoin (in spite of) and a rèir (according to) can be seen often in the news.
Chunnaic iad am mèirleach a’ dol a dh’ionnsaigh na sgoile.
They saw the thief going towards the school.
Fhuaradh ciontach e a dh’aindeoin na fianais(e).
He was found guilty despite the evidence.
A rèir na fianais(e) rinn esan e.
According to the evidence he did it.
dham ionnsaigh
As we learned in B1, compound prepositions combine with the possessive adjectives: mo, do, a, a (h–), ar (n–), ur (n–), an/am.
| a dh’ionnsaigh | + | mo | → | dham ionnsaigh | towards me |
| a dh’ionnsaigh | + | do | → | dhad ionnsaigh | towards you |
| a dh’ionnsaigh | + | a | → | dha ionnsaigh | towards him |
| a dh’ionnsaigh | + | a h– | → | dha h–ionnsaigh | towards her |
| a dh’ionnsaigh | + | ar n– | → | dhar n–ionnsaigh | towards us |
| a dh’ionnsaigh | + | ur n– | → | dhur n–ionnsaigh | towards you (plural) |
| a dh’ionnsaigh | + | an | → | dhan ionnsaigh | towards them |
The a in a dh’ionnsaigh (towards) is really the preposition do/dha.
Therefore, to say ‘towards me’, we need to combine the simple preposition do/dha with the possessive adjectives.
We also need to remember to use an tuiseal ginideach (the possessive or genitive case) with definite nouns.
Thàinig i dham ionnsaigh.
She came towards me.
Thig e a dh’ionnsaigh na sgoile.
He’ll come towards the school.
Tha iad a’ tighinn a dh’ionnsaigh an taighe.
They are coming towards the house.
a rèir
according to
The compound preposition a rèir (according to) also uses the preposition do/dha and combines with the possessive adjectives in the same way:
Chan eil sin fìor, dha rèir–san.
That’s not true, according to him.
a dh’aindeoin
in spite of
The compound preposition a dh’aindeoin (in spite of) is also followed by the genitive case:
Nì sinn e a dheòin no a dh’aindeoin.
We will do it willingly or not.
Creididh daoine sin a dh’aindeoin na fianais.
People believe that in spite of the evidence.