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The boatman

Fear a’ bhàta

Read verse 1 and Verse 2 from the song 'Is trom leam an àirigh' and you can see the line which we referred to earlier.

Is trom leam an àirigh 's a ghàir seo a th' innt',
Gun a’ phàirtidh a dh'fhàg mi andràst’ air mo chinn,
Anna chaolmhalach mhìnbhasach, shlìobcheannach, chruinn,
ls Iseabal a bheòil mhilis, mhànranach, bhinn.
Heich mar a bha, air mo chinn,
A dh'fhàg mi cho cràiteach 's nach stà dhomh bhi 'g inns'.

Gun d' shiubhail mis’ a' bhuaile 's a suas feadh nan craobh,
'S gach àit' anns am b' àbhaist bhith pògadh mo ghaoil;
Nuair chunnaic mi 'm fear bàn ud 's e 'mànran ra mhnaoi,
Is b' fheàrr leam nach tiginn idir làmh riu no 'n gaoith.
'S e mar a bha, air mo chinn,
A dh'fhàg mi cho cràiteach 's nach stà dhomh bhi 'g inns'.

Read the chorus and verse 4 from the song ' Fear a' Bhàta' and you can see the line which we referred to earlier. 

Fhir a' bhàta na hòro eile,
Fhir a' bhàta na hòro eile,
Fhir a' bhàta na hòro eile,
Mo shoraidh slàn leat 's gach àit' an tèid thu.

Gheall mo leannan domh gùn den t-sìoda;
Gheall e sìod agus breacan rìomhach;
Fàinn' òir anns am faicinn ìomhaigh;
Ach 's eagal leam gun dèan e dìchuimhn'.

DÈ DO BHEACHD? | WHAT DO YOU THINK?

An robh na faclan agaibhse eadar-dhealaichte ris an òran fhèin?
Were your words/lyrics different from those in the song?
Ciamar?
In what way?
A bheil sibh eòlach air na h-òrain?
Do you know the songs?
An cuala sibh iad?
Have you heard them?
An do sheinn thu iad ann am farpais no aig a' Mòd a-riamh?
Have you ever sung them in a competition or at the Mod?
Ma sheinn, cuine agus càite?
If you did (sing), when and where?
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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.

SpeakGaelic says my email is taken and I can’t log in. Can you help?

This is usually because your account has not been properly activated – there should be an email from us with a link to activate your account (remember to check spam / junk folders too). If you can’t find the email, let us know.

If you have already activated your account, you may be on the wrong page. Please ensure you are on the login page and not the registration page.

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We can help—please forward the email to fios@speakgaelic.scot and ask us to activate your account.

How do I log in after activating my account?

Please make your way to the login page.

Can you help me move on after completing a test?

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My dashboard says I’ve completed X number of topics but I should have more. How do I complete all steps to finish my topics?

You should be able to scroll and expand each topic to see which one has a step missed out. Go into the incomplete section and follow the all the steps in the section to complete the topic.

How do I report an error?

Either use the contact form or send us an email at fios@speakgaelic.scot. Please send us the page 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.

Why isn’t my sound working?

This is usually because something is muted somewhere on your device. Check volume controls, speaker settings and device settings. Please make sure you are pressing the speaker icon.

Why was I marked wrong on this quiz question?

We hate to break it to you, but you might be wrong! Check you have read the question correctly. Please ensure your apostrophes are facing the correct way and finally make sure you don’t have too many spaces.

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.

I think I’ve found a typo/mistake on the website. How do I report this?

Either use the contact form or send us an email at fios@speakgaelic.scot. Please send us the page 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.

Why won't you provide your email address in a format I can open?

We will get ambushed by spam! If you email fios@speakgaelic.scot we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please don’t be mean, we are human beings and it will ruin our day!

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Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you see anything wrong or if you want to leave us a message.