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Fèisean

B2
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Nach math fhaicinn gu bheil …

Isn't it good to see that …

Ais–thilleadh is where the (transitive) verbal noun in a defining relative clause is lenited and usually preceded by an a when it refers back to the noun (or pronoun) in the preceding clause:

Sin an fhèis a bha sinn ag iarraidh fhaicinn.

That is the festival that we were wanting to see.

Na bruidhinn air na daoine a tha mi ag iarraidh a sheachnadh.

Don’t talk about the people that I want to avoid.

Ro–thilleadh is where the (transitive) verbal noun which refers to a subsequent clause is lenited and preceded by an a (although no a is needed in front of fh+vowel):

Tha mi air bhioran a chluinntinn gun tèid an fhèis air adhart.

I’m excited to hear that the festival will go ahead.

Nach math fhaicinn gum bi fèis ann a–rithist!

Isn’t it good to see that there will be a festival again!

While it is helpful for learners to know that there are rules which explain why lenition is used in certain situations, but not in other seemingly similar situations, it is not important that you fully understand this rule.

Many speakers would not notice the use of lenition here, or lack of, as a mistake—don’t let complex rules like this hold back your speaking of the language!

Having an understanding of which mistakes will sound like an egregious error to a native speaker and which do not is part of fluency.

There are many grammar rules in English which native speakers regularly break, and many others which they would never break.