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I am after ...

Tha mi air ...

Gaelic verbs don't have what is known in English as the 'perfect tense', used to say you 'have done something'. In Gaelic the simple past tense can also have a perfect meaning, Chaidh mi a Pharas (I went to Paris) or (I have been to Paris), but we can say explicitly that we have done something using the structure Tha mi air … which is like the English phrase 'I am after …' doing something. This structure causes inversion which we learned in [A2 Cuspair 9, 12].

Inversion happens with a direct object . With the definite article, it may look as if the direct object (noun) should be in the dative (prepositional) case after the preposition air , but in fact air introduces the whole verbal noun phrase, so the noun stays in the nominative (nominal) case:

Tha ceann air a' chnogan
There is a lid on the jar

Ach:

Tha mi air an cnogan fhosgladh
I have opened the jar
Tha mi air an dinnear a dhèanamh
I have made/am after making the dinner
A bheil sibh air an cnogan fhosgladh?
Have you opened the jar?
Chan eil Sìne air am prògram sin fhaicinn
Jane hasn't seen that programme
Bha iad air am biadh a cheannach
They had bought/were after buying the food.
A bheil sibh air an cnogan fhosgladh?
Have you opened the jar?
A bheil sibh air an leabhar a leughadh?
Have you read the book?
A bheil sibh air an leasan seo a leantainn?
Have you followed this lesson?
Tha sinn air gach prògram SpeakGaelic air BBC ALBA fhaicinn, tha iad cho feumail!
We have seen every SpeakGaelic programme on BBC ALBA, they are so useful!
Nach eil sibh toilichte gu bheil e air taigh ùr fhaighinn?
Aren't you pleased that he has got a new house?
Chunnaic iad nach robh e air an obair–dachaigh a dhèanamh.
They saw that he hadn't done the homework.
A bheil sibh air ur biadh a ghabhail fhathast?
Have you had your food yet?
Tha sinn cinnteach gu bheil sinn air damhan–allaidh fhaicinn.
We are sure that we have seen a spider.
Tha mi brònach gu bheil mi air a h–uile nì a th' agam a chall
I am sad that I've lost everything I own/have.
Bidh iad air dinnear ithe mar–thà
They will have eaten dinner already.
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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?

This commonly happens if you have not logged on. You also need to have passed with 60% correct answers, 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.

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.

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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?

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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.