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Plurals

Faclan iolra

Joy explains how to create plurals in Gaelic.

Most Gaelic nouns have only one plural form. Always check your dictionary to see what it is. There are two main types of endings: 

  • Endings of e (an)  
  • Slenderisation 

We will give you a very brief overview of these two types using vocabulary you have already met. 

+ (e) anradanradainrats
+ t (e) ansgoilsgoilteanschools
+ t (e) achannathairnathraicheansnakes
+ (a) icheannurs nursaicheannurses
+ (e) annanainmainmeannannames
Slenderisation + eanobairobraicheanjobs
Slenderisationcù, catcoin, caitdogs, cats

cù  ->  coin  

cat  ->  cait  

iasg  ->  èisg  

coineanach  ->  coineanaich  

cuilean  ->  cuileanan  

luch  ->  luchan  

nathair  ->  nathraichean  

caora  ->  caoraich  

bò  ->  bà  

ialtag  ->  ialtagan  

cearc ->  cearcan  

cailleach-oidhche  ->  cailleachan-oidhche  

Here are the plurals for the animals we have learnt:

coin
dogs
cait
cats
èisg
fish
coineanaich
rabbits
cuileanan
puppies
luchan
mice
nathraichean
snakes
caoraich
sheep (plural)
bà
cows
ialtagan
bats
cearcan
chickens
cailleachan-oidhche
owls

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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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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?

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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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