Àichidhean dùbailte (double negatives) are very common in Gaelic and they often bemuse learners because they are used more often than they are heard in English.
Expressions like these are heard frequently:
Cha chreid mi nach dèan mi sin. | I don’t believe I won’t do that. | = | I think I will do that. |
Cha chreid mi nach bi. | I don’t believe it won’t be. | = | I think it will. |
Cha chreid mi nach …
Double negatives are very common in Gaelic and you will come across phrases which don’t have very literal translations in English.
Cha chreid is often used with
a negative dependent verb + nach … to mean ‘I believe that’, but used with
a positive dependent verb + gun … to mean ‘I don’t believe that’.
Cha chreid mi nach eil sin fìor!
I think that’s true! (lit. I don’t believe that that isn’t true!)
Cha chreid mi gu bheil sin fìor!
I don’t think that’s true! (lit. I don’t believe that that is true!)
Look at these sentences.
Which one means that you will go home, and which one means that you will stay?
Cha chreid mi nach tèid mi dhachaigh. |
Cha chreid mi gun tèid mi dhachaigh. |
Cha chreid mi nach tèid mi dhachaigh.
I think I’ll go home. (I don’t believe that I won’t go home.)
Cha chreid mi gun tèid mi dhachaigh.
I don’t think I’ll go home.