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Phrases

Abairtean

There were a few words and phrases there which you can use when talking about Beatha air an dùthaich (Life in the countryside) . Let's look at some of them again in context.

na monaidhean fo fhraoch
the moors carpeted with/under heather
na dailtean fo dhìtheanan
the meadows covered in daisies/flowers
na craobhan fo blàth
the trees in bloom
Chan eil buileach!
Not quite!
na h–achaidhean fo bhàrr
the fields under crop(s)
an talamh–ionaltraidh fo chaoraich
the pasture under sheep
na tobhtaichean fo fheanntag
the ruins covered in nettles
acfhainn
equipment, tools, harness (horse)
a' càradh an rathaid
repairing the road
obair chruaidh gun duais
hard, thankless work
na ghurraban
crouching down
cho cabhagach ri
as urgent as
mañana (Spàinntis)
tomorrow
bha e na thost
he was silent (‘in his silence’)
amadan
fool
duine glic
wise man
nan cabhag
in a (‘their’) hurry
nan èiginn
desperate
ro mhodhail
too polite

We'll catch up with some more of these as well as adding some new words and phrases to our vocabulary as we progress through this lesson.

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FAQs

What does “Level” mean (A1, A2, B1, B2)?

All courses and resources on SpeakGaelic are organised according to internationally recognised language levels. If you have learnt a language before you may be familiar with this terminology—the SpeakGaelic levels map onto those defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Within SpeakGaelic, levels are colour-coded to help you find your way about.

A1 is “Inntrigeadh” (Entry). Absolute beginners should start here!

A2 is “Bunaiteach” (Foundation). Widen your knowledge of sentences and frequently-used expressions. Communicate simple tasks and basic descriptions.

B1 is “Eadar-mheadhanach” (Intermediate). Start becoming an independent user of Gaelic.

B2 is “Adhartach” (Advanced). Complete your journey to becoming an independent user of Gaelic.

How do I type the Gaelic accents?

Tap or click on a letter to put it on your clipboard, you can then paste it anywhere:

Lowercase letters:

Uppercase letters:

Alternatively, these methods may work for you:

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

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.

What are slendar and broad vowels?

The slender vowels are e and i.

All the others are broad.

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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?

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