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May I ask you a question?

Am faod mi ceist a chur ort?

So far, we have seen simple sentences using faod (may, might) and feum (must, need to) but when faod or feum have a direct object , the order of the sentence is changed using iomlaid (inversion). A sentence such as 'Tha mi a' gabhail biadh' becomes ' Am faod mi biadh a ghabhail?

Am faod mi ceist a chur ort?Faodaidh. Faodaidh tu ceist a chur orm.
Am faod mi deoch fhaighinn dhut?Chan fhaod. Faodaidh tu biadh fhaighinn dhomh!
Am faod iad Gàidhlig ionnsachadh ?Faodaidh! Faodaidh a h-uile duine Gàidhlig ionnsachadh .

We can see that the verbal noun lenites where possible and we use the infinitive particle a before the verb. This a disappears when the verbal noun starts with a vowel , or f + vowel .

VERB SUBJECT VERBAL NOUN Direct OBJECT
Tha thua' dràibheadha' chàr
Bha ea' leughadhleabhar
Bha iag òldeoch
Thèid iada dh'fhaicinnan fhilm
MODAL SUBJECT DIR. OBJECT   VERB
Faodaidh tuan càradhràibheadh
Feumaidh eleabharaleughadh
Faodaidh ideoch òl
Feumaidh iadam film fhaicinn

That's quite a lot to take in! Perhaps easier it's easier to see these in context. In the conversation in the previous section, we saw and heard a few examples.

Am faod mi an càr agam a chur dhan gharaids agad?
May I put my car in your garage?
Am faod mi am baidhsagal agam fhàgail an àiteigin?
May I leave my bike somewhere?
Nach fhaod mi deoch fhaighinn dhut, Anna?
(May I not …) Can't I get you a drink, Anne?
Am faod mi an taigh-beag agad a chleachdadh?
May I use your toilet?
Faodaidh tu an taigh-beag a chleachdadh a-nis!
You may use the toilet now!

and also in the conversation in this section:

Feumaidh mi biadh fhaighinn mus tèid sinn gu pàrtaidh Dhòmhnaill.
I need to get something to eat (food) before we go to Donald's party.
Am feum?
Do you (need to)?
Feumaidh.
I do (need to).
Nach fheum thu rudeigin ithe?
Don't you need to eat something?
Chan fheum.
I don't.
Feumaidh mi deoch òl mus tèid sinn ann.
I need a drink before we go there.
Feumaidh mi airgead fhaighinn.
I need to get money.
Feumaidh mi botal fìona a cheannach aig a' bhùth.
I must buy a bottle of wine at the shop.
Feumaidh mise a dhol dhachaigh mus tèid sinn chun a' phàrtaidh agus aodach-pàrtaidh spaideil a chur orm!
But I need to go home before we go to the party and put on some smart party clothes!

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

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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.

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