Table of Contents Sentences Guide to Imitated Pronunciation Grammar Points: •  Lenition and Slenderisation •  The Definite Article: The •  The Prepositional Case •  The Prepositions •  The Genitive Case •  The Possessive Pronouns •  Identification Sentences •  Present Tense •  Perfect Tense •  Simple Past Tense •  Past Continuous Tense •  Future Continuous Tense •  Simple Future Tense Guide to Imitated Pronunciation a at the end of a word is pronounced lightly, like the -er in father (but without the r sound at the end) a at the end of a word is pronounced lightly, like -er in father (but without the r sound at the end) ah is a long a, as in father ee is a long e, as in feet eh is a sound of e in pet eu is an oo sound with the lips unrounded euh is a longer oo sound with the lips unrounded ay is a long e, as in day (but without the i sound at the end) oh is a long o, as in boat oo is oo as in look ooh is a long oo, as in fool oo is a long u, as in fool uh is like the -er in father (but without the r sound at the end) ch is the ch in church hh is the sound of h in huge, also shown as hy gh is the voiced version of kh kh is the guttural sound at the end of loch or Bach ñ is the sound of ny in canyon, also shown as ny j is the j in judge rr is a tapped r rr is a rolled r sh is the sh in shop fy, gy, hy, ky, ly, ny, py, ry, ty: these all have a very light y sound after the consonant, as in million (ly) or canyon (ny) Grammar Points Lenition and Slenderisation Lenition The letters b, c, d, f, g, m, p, s and t are affected by lenition. Only the combinations of sl, sn and sr are affected by lenition (sg, sm, sp and st are not affected). The letters l and n are special cases where the spelling does not change but the pronunciation does. If the letter l is pronounced ly, it changes to l. If the letter n is pronounced ny, it changes to n. Special note: sr is pronounced str but shr is pronounced hr. Examples of lenition are: bith to bhith (will be), cù to chù (dog), deoch to dheoch (drink), flùr to fhlùr (flower), gorm to ghorm (blue), math to mhath (good), peann to pheann (pen), salach to shalach (dirty), slàinte to shlàinte (health), snog to shnog (nice), sràid to shràid (street) and tiocaid to thiocaid (ticket). Some examples of words that cause lenition are: mo (my), do (your), do and a (to), a (his), de (with), mar (like), aon (one), glè (very), a (vocative particle) and an (the/feminine). Special note: aon does not lenite words beginning with the letters d, n, t, l or s. For example: mo chat (from mo + cat) muh khat my cat do pheann (from do + peann) duh fja-oon your pen do Ghlaschu (from do + Glaschu) duh ghla-sa-khoo to Glasgow a bhàthair (from a + bràthair) uh vrah-hir his brother de bhalach (from de + balach) dyay va-lakh of a boy mar thunnag (from mar + tunnag) mar hoo-nak like a duck aon chaileag (from aon + caileag) euhn kha-lak one girl glè mhòr (from glè + mòr) glay vohr very big glè leisg (from glè + leisg) glay leshk (changes from: lyeshk) very lazy a Mhàiri! (from a + Màiri) a Vah-ryi! Mary! an fheòil (from an + feòil) an yohl the meat Special note: an does not lenite words beginning with the letters d and t. An adjective that follows a singular feminine noun or any noun which has been made plural by slenderisation (see below) also lenites. For example: cèic bhlasta (from cèic + blasta) kyehh-k vla-sta delicious cake cèicean blasta kyehh-kyan bla-sta delicious cakes balach beag ba-lakh bek little boy balaich bheaga (from balaich + beaga) ba-lihh ve-ga little boys Special note: When an monosyllabic adjective follows a plural noun, it adds a final -a or -e, depending on whether the final consonant is broad or slender, so beag becomes beaga. If an adjective appears before any noun, it causes that noun to undergo lenition. seann dhuine (from seann + duine) sha-oon gheu-nya an old man droch bhiadh (from droch + biadh) drokh vee-agh bad food Indefinite genitive plural nouns always undergo lenition. For example, after the word mòran (many). mòran bhrògan (from mòran + brògan) moh-ran vroh-gan many shoes Slenderisation Slenderisation occurs when an i is added at the end of a word before the final consonant or group of consonants. Sometimes this can cause the preceding vowel to change form. Examples of the slenderisation are: mac to mic (son/sons), cat to cait (cat/cats) and bòrd to bùird (table/tables). Slenderisation can be used to make the plural form of some nouns. For example: balaich (from balach) ba-lihh (from ba-lakh) boys coin (from cù) koñ (from koo) dogs cnuic (from cnoc) kruhh-k (from crokh-k) hills fir (from fear) feer (from fer) men mic (from mac) mihh-k (from makh-k) sons Slenderisation is used with masculine nouns in the vocative case. For example: a Sheumais! (from a + Seumas) a Hay-mish! James! a chait! (from a + cat) a khehch! cat! Special note: The vocative form of cù (dog) is choin! (khoñ!). Slenderisation also marks the prepositional case with feminine singular nouns in formal speech. For example: le a' chaileag bheag lay a kha-lak vek with the little girl (informally speaking) le a' chaileig bhig lay kha-a vik with the little girl (formal speech) The Definite Article: The Masculine Singular Nouns (Nominative) The definite article is an. an changes to am before b, f, m and p. an changes to an t- before a vowel. For example: an loch an lokh the lake am balach am ba-lakh the boy am feur am fee-er the grass am mac am makh-k the son am peann am pya-oon the pen an t-uisge an teush-kya the water Feminine Singular Nouns (Nominative) The definite article remains an before d, n, l, r, sg, sp, st and sm. The definite article remains an before all vowels. The definite article remains an before f, and lenites f to fh. an changes to a' before b, c, g, m and p and lenites these consonants to bh, ch, gh, mh and ph. an changes to an t- before s, sl, sr and sn and the s becomes silent. Special note: The combination an t-sn is pronounced an tr-. For example: an deigh an dyay-ee the ice an sgoil an skol the school an obair an o-bir the work an fhuil (from fuil) an eul the blood a' bhròg (from bròg) a vrohg the shoe a' chaileag (from caileag) a kha-lak the girl a' ghloine (from gloine) a ghluh-nya the glass a' mhàthair (from màthair) a vah-hir the mother a' phàirc (from pàirc) a fahrk the park an t-sùil (from sùil) an tool the eye an t-sràid an trahj (changes from strahj) the street an t-sneachda an trekh-ka (changes from shnyekh-ka) the snow Plural Nouns (Nominative) The definite article is na. Before a vowel, na changes to na h-. For example: na sùilean na soo-lan the eyes na h-uinneagan na heu-nya-gan the windows The Prepositional Case With the prepositional case, the only change in colloquial speech is to the singular definite article, which is formed the same way as the feminine singular article (nominative). In formal speech, singular feminine nouns undergo slenderisation if they end in a consonant. You may see the prepositional case also referred to as the dative case. The definite article remains an before d, n, l, r, sg, sp, st and sm. Before f, an remains the same but f lenites to fh. Before b, c, g, m and p, an changes to a' and lenites the consonant. Before a vowel, or s, sl, sr and sn, an changes to an t- Note: s becomes silent. Note also that the combination an t-sn is pronounced an tr. Special note: Prepositions such as ann an, le and ri change to anns, leis and ris before the definite article. For example: aig an doras ek an do-ras at the door anns an sgoil a-oons an skol at school aig an uinneag ek an eu-nyak at the window ris an fhear (from fear) ryish an er to the man anns a' Bheurla (from Beurla) a-oons a Vyuhrr-la in English Special note: May also be ann an Beurla (a-nan Byuhrr-la). anns a' char (from car) a-oons a khar in the car anns a' Ghàidhlig (from Gàidhlig) a-oons a Ghah-lik in Gaelic Special note: May also be ann an Gàidhlig (a-nan Gah-lik). anns a' mhuir (from muir) a-oons a voor in the sea anns a' phàirc (from pàirc) a-oons a fahrk in the park anns an t-seòmar (from seòmar) a-oons an tyoh-mar (from shoh-mar) in the room air an t-sràid ehr an trahj (changes from strahj) on the street In formal speech, singular feminine nouns undergo slenderisation if they end in a consonant. However even in colloquial speech, a few common words undergo slenderisation, such as bròg to bròig (shoe), caileag to caileig (girl), cas to cois (foot) clann to cloinn (child), cluas to cluais (ear) and làmh to làimh (hand). For example: ris a' chaileig (from caileag) ryish an kha-lek to the girl leis a' chloinn (from clann) don khleuñ for the children Special note: The preposition do combines with the definite article to become don (duhn) "of the". bho làimh (from làmh) vo lah-iv from a hand Irregular Prepositional Forms bean becomes mnaoi (wife) bò becomes boin (cow) cearc becomes circ (hen) clach becomes cloich (stone) sgian becomes sgithinn (knife) For example: leis an sgithinn (from sgian) lesh an skyee-iñ with the knife The Prepositions air, ann an, aig and le These prepositions change form when used together with pronouns. They are found in many common idiomatic expressions, such as to have, to like and to wear. The Preposition AIR The preposition air, which means on is used to express temporary physical and mental states. It is used together with an t-acras (hunger), am pathadh (thirst) and an t-eagal (fear). This preposition is also used to express to wear. orm (o-rom) on me ort (orrsht) on you air (ehr) on him oirre (o-rra) on her oirnn (orrñ) on us oirbh (o-ryiv) on you (plural) orra (o-rra) on them For example: Tha an t-acras orm. Ha an takh-kras o-rom. I am hungry. (Literally: There is hunger on me.) A bheil an t-eagal ort? A vel an tay-gal orrsht? Are you afraid? (Literally: Is there is fear on you?) Tha ad air. Ha at ehr. He is wearing a hat. (Literally: There is hat on him.) The Preposition ANN (AN) Special note: The preposition ann an (a-nan) or ann (a-oon) changes to anns before the definite article. For example, anns an lios (a-oons an lyis or a-san lyis) (in the garden). The combination anns an may also be shortened further to san or sa. For example, san lios (san lyis) (in the garden). annam (a-nam) in me annad (a-nat) in you ann (a-oon) in him innte (iñ-tya) in her annainn (a-niñ) in us annaibh (a-niv) in you (plural) annta (an-ta) in them The preposition ann an, which means in, is used together with possessive pronouns to express a state or a condition such as lying, standing, sitting and running, sleeping or being awake. nam (nam) in my nad (nat) in your na (na) in his na (na) in her nar (nar) in our nur (noor) in your (plural) nan (nan) or nam (nam) in their Special note: Nam, nad and na (in his) lenite the following word. Nar and nur add n- to vowels. Na (in her) adds h- to vowels. Nan becomes nam before a b, f, m and p. For example: Tha mi nam laighe. Ha mee nam la-ya. I am lying down. (Literally: I am in my lying down.) A bheil thu nad dhùisg? (from dùisg) A vel oo nad ghooshk? Are you awake? (Literally: Are you in your being awake?) Tha e na sheasamh. Ha eh na heh-sav. He is standing. (Literally: He is in his standing.) The Preposition AIG The preposition aig, which means at is used to express the verb to have or to know. agam (a-gam) at me agad (a-gat) at you aige (e-gya) at him aice (ehh-kya) at her againn (a-giñ) at us agaibh (a-giv) at you (plural) aca (akh-ka) at them For example: Tha an t-airgead aice. Ha an te-rye-gyad ehh-kya. She has the money. (Literally: There is the money at her.) A bheil am peann agad? A vel am pya-oon a-gat? Do you have the pen? (Literally: Is the pen at you?) Chan eil fhios agam. Kha nyel is a-gam. I don't know. (Literally: There isn't knowledge at me.) The Preposition LE The preposition le, which means with is used together with 's toil (to like) and 's fheàrr (to prefer). This preposition is also used to express to own. leam (luhm) with me leat (lat) with you leis (lesh) with him leatha (lay-a) with her leinn (layñ) with us leibh (lay-iv) with you (plural) leotha (lo-a) with them For example: 'S toil leam cèic-càise. Stol luhm kyehh-k kah-sha. I like cheesecake. (Literally: Is pleasure with me cheesecake.) Special note: A commonly heard alternative to 's toil leam is 's toigh s. 'S fheàrr leatha cofaidh na tì. Shahr lay-a ko-fee na tee. She prefers coffee to tea. (Literally: Is better with her coffee than tea.) Cò leis a tha an cù sin? Koh lesh a ha an koo shin? Who owns that dog? (Literally: With whom is that dog?) The Genitive Case The genitive case is used to show possession. For example, peansail Moraig (Morag's pencil) or bus cathrach (city bus, ie. bus of the city). The genitive case is also used when object of a verbal noun verb is definite rather than indefinite. For example, tha mi ag ithe an arain (I am eating the bread) rather than tha mi ag ithe aran (I am eating bread). Masculine Singular Nouns (Genitive) In the genitive case, the masculine singular definite article is formed the same way as the feminine singular article (nominative). The definite article remains an before d, n, l, r, sg, sp, st and sm. Before f, an remains the same but f lenites to fh. Before b, c, g, m and p, an changes to a' and lenites the consonant. Before a vowel, or s, sl, sr and sn, an changes to an t- Note: s becomes silent. Note also that the combination an t-sn is pronounced an tr. Masculine singular nouns may show the genitive case by slenderisation, by adding +a or there may be no change at all. For example: bròg balaich (from balach) brohk ba-lihh a boy's shoe (ie. a shoe of a boy) a' bhalaich (from balach) a va-lihh of the boy uisge locha (from loch) eush-kya lo-kha lake water (ie. water of a lake) a' locha (from loch) a lo-kha of the lake cupa cofaidh koo-pa ko-fee a cup of coffee a' chofaidh (from cofaidh) a kho-fee of the coffee Feminine Singular Nouns (Genitive) The feminine singular definite article is na or na h- before a vowel. Feminine singular nouns may show the genitive case by slenderisation plus adding +e, by adding +a, by removing the final syllable and adding +(e)ach, or there may be no change at all. Note: In colloquial speech, +e is only added to nouns of one syllable. For example, na caileig (of the girl) is colloquial, but na caileige is used in formal speech. For example: ball-coise (from cas) bal ko-sha a football (ie. a ball of a foot) na coise (from cas) na ko-sha of the foot gloine sùla (from sùil) gluh-nya su-la glasses (ie. glass of an eye) na sùla (from sùil) na soo-la of the eye bus cathrach (from cathair) boos ka-rakh a city bus (ie. a bus of a city) na cathrach (from cathair) na ka-rakh of the city latha obrach (from obair) la-a ob-rakh a work day (ie. a day of work) na h-obrach (from obair) na hob-rakh of the work cupa tì koo-pa tee a cup of tea na tì na tee of the tea Plural Nouns (Genitive) The plural definite article is nan or nam before a b, f, m and p. Plural nouns do not change form in the genitive. The exception are masculine plural nouns caused by lenition. These nouns return back to same form as the singular. For example, cat (cat), cait (cats) and cat (of cats) or òran (song), òrain (songs) and òran (of songs). nan caileagan nan ka-la-gyan of the girls nan càraichean nan kah-ri-hyen of the cars nam balach (not balaich) nam ba-lakh of the boys nan Gàidheal (not Gàidheil) nan Geh-al of the Gaels Irregular Genitive Forms Genitive Singular: athair becomes athar (of a father) bean becomes mnà or mnatha (of a wife) biadh becomes bìdh or bidhe (of food) bò becomes bà (of a cow) bràthair becomes bràthar (of a brother) caora becomes caorach (of a sheep) ceann becomes cinn (of a head) cearc becomes circe (of a hen) ceòl becomes ciùil (of music) clach becomes cloiche (of a stone) clann becomes cloinne (of children) cù becomes coin (of a dog) deoch becomes dighe or dibhe (of drink) grian becomes grèine (of a sun) leabaidh becomes leapa (of a bed) mac becomes mic (of a son) màthair becomes màthar (of a mother) peann becomes pinn (of a pen) piuthar becomes peathar (of a sister) sgian becomes sgèine (of a knife) taigh becomes taighe (of a house) tràigh becomes tràghad (of a beach) Genitive Plural: bà becomes bò (of cows) caoraich becomes caorach (of sheep) coin becomes con (of dogs) mic becomes mac (of sons) mnathan becomes ban (of wives) Nouns that follow adverbs of quantity, such as beagan (a little), mòran (much), tòrr (lots of), tuilleadh (more), barrachd (more),cus (too much) and gu leòr (enough) are in the genitive case. Special note: After adverb of quantity, a plural genitive noun is lenited. For example: mòran bidhe (much food, from mòran + biadh) beagan siùcair (a little sugar, from beagan + siùcar) gu leòr airgid (enough money, from gu leòr + airgead) mòran fhlùraichean (enough flowers, from mòran + flùraichean tuilleadh chupannan (more cups, from tuilleadh + cupannan cus dhaoine (too many people, from cus + daoine) Adverbs of quantity may also be used with de (of) plus the prepositional case. Special note: The preposition de lenites the following word and adds dh' before fh- or a vowel. beagan de shiùcar (a little sugar, from beagan + de + siùcar) tuilleadh de chupannan (more cups, from tuilleadh + de + cupannan) mòran de dh'airgead (much money, from mòran + de + airgead) cus de dh'fhalt (too much hair, from cus + de + falt) Special note: The preposition de combines with the definite article to become dhen (yen) "of the". The Possessive Pronouns mo (m' before a vowel and fh) my do (d' before a vowel and fh) your a his a (a h- before a vowel) her ar (ar n- before a vowel) our ur (ur n- before a vowel) your (plural) an (am before a b, f, m and p) their Special note: Mo, do and a (his) lenite the following word. For example: mo mhàthair, m' athair, m' fhalt my mother, my father, my hair do mhàthair, m' athair, d' fhalt your mother, your father, your hair a mhàthair, a athair, a fhalt his mother, his father, his hair a màthair, a h-athair, a falt her mother, her father, her hair ar màthair, ar n-athair, ar falt our mother, our father, our hair ur màthair, ur n-athair, ur falt your (plural) mother, your (plural) father, your (plural) hair an slàinte, am màthair, an athair, am falt their health, their mother, their father, their hair Special note: You can also express possession using the definite article before the noun and the personal form of aig (at) after the noun. For example: a' bhròg agam a vrohk a-gam my shoe (Literally: the shoe at me) an t-airgead aice an teh-ryeh-gyat ehh-kya her money (Literally: the money at her) Identification Sentences Affirmative Statements There are many ways to form identification sentences. The structure of the sentences differs whether the noun is definite (ie. the teacher or John) or indefinite (ie. a teacher or some bread). Identifiying a definite noun If the sentence identifies someone or something as a definite noun, you can use the structures is plus the emphatic pronoun or 's e plus the definite noun. For example: Is esan an tidsear. (He is the teacher. Literally: It is he the teacher.) 'S e Iain an tidsear. (John is the teacher. Literally: It is John the teacher.). 'S e m' athair an tidsear (My father is the teacher. Literally: It is my father the teacher.) Alternatively you can use a the structure is e ... a tha ann an (which is usually shortened to 's e ... a th' ann an). For example: 'S e an tidsear a th' ann. (He is the teacher. Literally: It is the teacher that is in him.) 'S e an tidsear a th' ann an Iain. (John is the teacher. Literally: It is the teacher that is in John.) 'S e an tidsear a tha nam athair. (My father is the teacher. Literally: It is the teacher that is in my father.) Identifiying an indefinite noun If the sentence identifies someone or something as an indefinite noun, you can only use the structure is e ... a tha ann an (which is usually shortened to 's e ... a th' ann an). For example: 'S e tidsear a th' ann. (He is a teacher. Literally: It is a teacher that is in him.) 'S e tidsear a th' ann an Iain. (John is a teacher. Literally: It is a teacher that is in him.) 'S e tidsear a tha nam athair. (My father is a teacher. Literally: It is a teacher that is in my father.) There is another possibility when the state is considered temporary and that is to use the construction tha e ... na .... This construction is often used with professions. For example: Tha e na thidsear. (He is a teacher. Literally: He is in his teacher). Tha Iain na a. (John is a teacher. Literally: John is in his teacher.) Tha m' athair na thidsear. (My father is a teacher. Literally: My father is in his teacher.) Special note: The verb is is pronounced s or uhs before other words. The verb is e is often shortened in writing to 's e. Definite and indefinite identification sentences using the structure is e ... a tha ann an: 'S e tidsear/an tidsear a th' annam. Shay tee-cher/an tee-chers a ha-nam. I am a teacher/the teacher. 'S e tidsear/an tidsear a th' annad. Shay tee-cher/an tee-cher a ha-nat. You are a teacher. 'S e tidsear/an tidsear a th' ann. Shay tee-cher/an tee-cher a ha-oon. He is a teacher. 'S e tidsear/an tidsear a th' innte. Shay tee-cher/an tee-cher a hiñ-tya. She is a teacher. 'S e tidsearan/na tidsearan a th' annainn. Shay tee-che-ran/na tee-che-ran a ha-niñ. We are teachers/the teachers. 'S e tidsearan/na tidsearan a th' annaibh. Shay tee-che-ran/na tee-che-ran a ha-nav. You (plural) are teachers/the teachers. 'S e tidsearan/na tidsearan a th' annta. Shay tee-che-ran/na tee-che-ran a ha-oon-ta. They are teachers/the teachers. Negative statements are formed by replacing 's e (is e) with chan e. For example: Chan e tidsear/an tidsear a th' ann. Kha nyay tee-cher/an tee-cher a ha-oon. He is not a teacher/the teacher. Chan e tidsearan/na tidsearan a th' annta. Kha nyay tee-che-ran/na tee-che-ran a ha-oon-ta. They are not teachers/the teachers. Questions are formed by replacing is e with an e. Answer with either 's e (yes) or chan e (no). For example: An e tidsear/an tidsear a th' ann? 'S e. A nyay tee-cher/an tee-cher a ha-oon. Shay. Is he a teacher/the teacher? Yes. An e tidsear/an tidsear a th' innte? Chan e. A nyay tee-cher/an tee-cher a hiñ-tya. Kha nyay. Is she a teacher/the teacher? No. Definite identification sentences using the structure 's e plus the definite noun: 'S e Iain an tidsear. John is the teacher. Chan e Sìne an seinneadair. Jane isn't the singer. Questions are formed by replacing is e with an e. Answer with either 's e (yes) or chan e (no). For example: An e Iain an dràibhear? 'S e. Is John the driver? Yes. An e Uilleam am peantair? Chan e. Is William the painter? No. Definite identification sentences using the structure is plus the emphatic pronoun: Is mise an tidsear. I am the teacher. Cha mhise an dotair. I am not the doctor. Is tusa an tidsear. You are the teacher. Cha tusa an dotair. You are not the doctor. Is esan an tidsear. He is the teacher. Chan esan an dotair. He is not the doctor. Is ise an tidsear. She is the teacher. Chan ise an dotair. She is not the doctor. Is sinne na tidsearan. We are the teachers. Cha sinne na dotairean. We are not the doctors. Is sibhse na tidsearan. You (plural) are the teachers. Cha sibhse na dotairean. You (plural) are not the doctors. Is iadsan na tidsearan. They are the teachers. Chan iadsan na dotairean. They are not the doctors. Questions are formed by replacing is with an. Note that the question particle an changes to am before mise. For example: Am mise an dràibhear? Am I the driver? An esan am post? Is he the postman? Yes and no answers are formed using the short form of the pronoun. Note that the short pronoun mi changes to mhi after cha: Yes: is mi, is tu, 's e, 's i is sinn, is sibh, 's iad No: cha mhi, cha tu, chan e, chan i cha sinn, cha sibh, chan iad For example: Am mise an dràibhear? Cha mhi. Am I the driver? No. An ise an nurs? 'S i. Is she the nurse? Yes. Indefinite identification sentences using the structure is plus ann an plus the possessive pronoun: This contruction is used to describe temporary states. It is often used with professions. Tha mi nam thidsear. I am a teacher. Chan eil mi nam iasgair. I am not a fisherman. A bheil mi nam phost? Am I a postman? Tha thu nad thidsear. You are a teacher. Chan eil thu nad iasgair. You are not a fisherman. A bheil thu nad phost? Are you a postman? Tha e na thidsear. He is a teacher. Chan eil e na iasgair. He is not a fisherman. A bheil e na phost? Is he a postman? Tha i na tidsear. She is a teacher. Chan eil i na h-iasgair. She is not a fisherwoman. A bheil i na post? Is she a postwoman? Tha sinn nar tidsearan. We are teachers. Chan eil sinn nar n-iasgairean. We are not fishermen. A bheil sinn nar postaichean? Are we postmen? Tha sibh nur tidsearan. You (plural) are teachers. Chan eil sibh nur n-iasgairean. You (plural) are not fishermen. A bheil sibh nur postaichean? Are you (plural) postmen? Tha iad na tidsearan. They are teachers. Chen eil iad nan iasgairean. They are not fishermen. A bheil sinn nam postaichean? Are they postmen? Questions are formed by replacing tha with a bheil. Answers are formed by tha (yes) and chan eil (no). For example: Tha mi nam dhràibhear? Tha. Am I a driver? Yes. The e na phoileas? Chan eil. Is he a policeman? No. The Present Tense Affirmative Statements The present tense tha can be used with adjectives, places and verbal nouns. Tha mi toilichte. Ha mee to-lihh-tya. I am happy. Tha thu toilichte. Ha oo to-lihh-tya. You are happy. Tha e toilichte. Ha eh to-lihh-tya. He is happy. Tha i toilichte. Ha ee to-lihh-tya. She is happy. Tha sinn toilichte. Ha shiñ to-lihh-tya. We are happy. Tha sibh toilichte. Ha shiv to-lihh-tya. You (plural) are happy. Tha iad toilichte. Ha ee-at to-lihh-tya. They are happy. Verbal nouns are created in various ways from the root verb and are preceded by ag (a' before a consonant). For example: bruidhinn (speak) remains bruidhinn (speaking) ceannaich (buy) becomes ceannach (buying) cluich (play) remains cluich or becomes cluiche (playing) cluinn (hear) becomes cluinntinn (hearing) cuir (put) becomes cur (putting) dèan (do) becomes dèanamh (doing) èist (listen) becomes èisteachd (listening) faic (see) becomes faicinn (seeing) faigh (get) becomes faighinn (getting) falbh (leave) remains falbh (leaving) fuirich (live) becomes fuireach (living) gabh (take) becomes gabhail (taking) iarr (want) becomes iarraidh (wanting) innis (tell) becomes innse (telling) ionnsaich (learn) becomes ionnsachadh (learning) ith (eat) becomes ithe (eating) leugh (read) becomes leughadh (reading) obair (work) remains obair (working) òl (drink) remains òl (drinking) scrìobh (write) becomes scrìobhaidh (writing) seinn (sing) remains seinn (singing) suidh (sit) becomes suidhe (sitting) tuig (understand) becomes tuigsinn (coming) Irregular verbal nouns may differ considerably from the root verb: abair (say) becomes ràdh (saying) rach (go) becomes dol (going) thig (come) becomes tighinn (coming) Special note: The verbal noun ràdh (saying) becomes ag ràdh. For example, Tha e ag ràdh gu bheil e fuar (He says he is cold). For example: Tha thu a' leughadh leabhar. You are reading a book. Tha e a' tuigsinn Gàidhlig na h-Èireann. He understands Irish. Tha i a' cluintinn ceòl. She hears music. Tha sinn a' fuireach ann an Dùn Èideann. We live in Edinburgh. Tha iadsan ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig. They are learning Gaelic. Tha mi ag òl sùgh. I am drinking juice. Tha e a' dol dhachaigh. He is going home. Tha mi a' tighinn dhan tràigh. I am coming to the beach. Negative Statements Chan eil mi a' dol. Kha nyel mee a dol. I am not going. Chan eil thu a' dol. Kha nyel oo a dol. You are not going. Chan eil e a' dol. Kha nyel eh a dol. He is not going. Chan eil i a' dol. Kha nyel ee a dol. She is not going. Chan eil sinn a' dol. Kha nyel shiñ a dol. We are not going. Chan eil sibh a' dol. Kha nyel shiv a dol. You (plural) are not going. Chan eil iad a' dol. Kha nyel ee-at a dol. They are not going. Questions and Answers A bheil mi aig an taigh? A vel mee ek an tuh-ee? Am I at home? A bheil mi thu aig an taigh? A vel oo ek an tuh-ee? Are you at home? A bheil e aig an taigh? A vel eh ek an tuh-ee? Is he at home? A bheil i aig an taigh? A vel ee ek an tuh-ee? Is she at home? A bheil sinn aig an taigh? A vel shiñ ek an tuh-ee? Are we at home? A bheil sibh aig an taigh? A vel shiv ek an tuh-ee? Are you (plural) at home? A bheil iad aig an taigh? A vel ee-at ek an tuh-ee? Are they at home? Special note: Questions are answered using tha for yes or chan eil for no. A bheil thu a' tighinn? Tha. Chan eil. A vel oo a tyee-iñ? Ha. Kha nyel. Are you coming? Yes. No. The Perfect Tense When you want to express the past perfect tense, start with the present tense and replace ag with air: Tha iad air falbh. Ha ee-at ehr fa-lav. They have left. A bheil mi air ithe? A vel mee ehr ee-hya? Have I eaten? Tha, tha mi air ithe. Ha, ha mee ehr ee-hya. Yes, I have eaten. Chan eil, chan eil mi air ithe. Kha nyel, kha nyel mee ehr ee-hya. No, I haven’t eaten. When you use this construction with an object, the object is placed before the verbal noun. This is called inversion. Place the particle particle a between the object and the verbal noun, which is lenited. This particle is not pronounced before a vowel or fh- and it may not always be written. Tha i air leabhar a cheannach. Ha ee ehr lyo-er a hhya-nakh. She has bought a book. Tha sinn air Gaidhlig a ionnsachadh. Ha shiñ ehr Gah-lik yun-sa-khagh. We have learnt Gaelic. Special note: When the object is preceded by the definite article, it is not changed to the prepositional case even though it follows air. Tha mi air an t-uisge a òl. (not air an uisge) Ha mee ehr an teush-kya ohl. I have drunk the water. Tha mi air an t-aran a ithe. (not air an aran) Ha mee ehr an ta-ran ee-hya. I have eaten the bread. The Simple Past Tense Affirmative Statements The simple past has an independent form and a dependent form depending on its position in the sentence. The independent form is created from the root verb which is lenited. If the verb begins with a vowel or fh-, then the verb is preceded by dh'. The independent form is used when the verb comes first in the sentence or stands alone. It is also used after independent verbal particles such as a (who, the person that), bhon a (since, because), carson a (why question), ciamar a (how question), cò (a) (who question), cuin a (when question),dè a (what question), ged a (although), ma (if), mar a (as, how), na (that which, what relative) and nuair a (when, the time that). For example, nan choisich mi (if I walked) and ged a dh'ith e (although he ate), nuair a dh'fhòn iad (when they phoned). The dependent form dependent form is created by placing dobefore the independent form. This form is used after dependent verbal particles such as an (whether, question particle), càit a (where question),cha (not), far an (where, the place that), gun/gu (that), gus an (until), mura (if not), mus (before), and nach (marker of negative question, that not). For example, far an do choisich mi (where I walked) and mus do dh'ith i (before she ate), nach do dh'fhalbh e? (didn't he leave?). For example: bruidhinn (speak) becomes bhruidhinn (spoke independent) and do bhruidhinn (dependent). ceannaich (buy) becomes cheannaich (bought independent) and do cheannaich (dependent). coisich (walk) becomes choisich (walked independent) and do choisich (dependent). dùin (close) becomes dhùin (closed independent) and do dhùin (dependent). falbh (leave) becomes dh'fhalbh (left independent) and do dh'fhalbh (dependent). fòn (phone) becomes dh'fhòn (phoned independent) and do dh'fhòn (dependent). ith (eat) becomes dh'ith (ate independent) and do dh'ith (dependent). òl (drink) becomes dh'òl (drank independent and do dh'òl (dependent). Special note: The initial letters l, n and r do not change in spelling but do change in pronunciation from ly to l, from ñ to n and from rr (rolled r) to r. For example, leugh! (lyayv!) read! becomes leugh e (layv eh) he read, nigh! (nyee!) wash! becomes nigh e (nee eh) he washed and ruith! (rree-h!) run! becomes ruith e (ree-h eh) he ran. Cheannaich mi aran. Hya-nihh mee a-ran. I bought bread. Cheannaich thu aran. Hya-nihh oo a-ran. You bought bread. Cheannaich e aran. Hya-nihh eh a-ran. He bought bread. Cheannaich i aran. Hya-nihh ee a-ran. She bought bread. Cheannaich sinn aran. Hya-nihh shiñ a-ran. We bought bread. Cheannaich sibh aran. Hya-nihh shiv a-ran. You (plural) bought bread. Cheannaich iad aran. Hya-nihh ee-at a-ran. They bought bread. Irregular verbs may differ considerably between the independent and dependent forms because they are created from different roots. For example: abair (say) becomes thuirt (said independent) and tuirt (dependent). cluinn (hear) becomes chuala (heard independent) and cuala (dependent). dèan (do) becomes rinn (did independent) and do rinn (dependent). faic (see) becomes chunnaic (saw independent) and faca (dependent). faigh (get) becomes fhuair (saw independent) and d'fhuair (dependent). rach (go) becomes chaigh (went independent) and deach (dependent). thig (come) becomes thàinig (came independent) and tàinig (dependent). thoir (give) becomes thug (gave independent) and tug (dependent). Special note: Faca changes to chan fhaca and am faca? Cuala changes to cha chuala. The dependent forms tàinig, tug and tuirt are all pronounced with initial d- sound. For example: Thàinig e dhachaigh. Ma thàinig e dhachaigh. Cha tàinig e dhachaigh. An tàinig e dhachaigh? He came home. If he came home. He didn't come home. Did he come home? Thuirt i sin. Ma thuirt i sin. Cha tuirt i sin. An tuirt i sin? She said that. If she said that. She didn't say that. Did she say that? Chaidh sinn a-mach. Ma chaidh sinn a-mach. Cha deach sinn a-mach. An deach sinn a-mach? We went out. If we went out. We didn't go out. Did we go out? Chunnaic iadsan an cat. Ma chunnaic iadsan an cat. Chan fhaca iadsan an cat. Am faca iadsan an cat? They saw the cat. If they saw the cat. They didn't see the cat. Did they see the cat? Cuala mi thu. Ma cuala mi thu. Cha chuala mi thu. An cuala mi thu? I heard you. If I heard you. Did I hear you? The verb is (to be) has special forms in the simple past: bu mhise, bu tusa, b' esan, b' ise, bu sinne, bu sibhse, b' iadsan. For example: Bu mhise an tidsear. Boo vee-sha an tee-cher. I was the teacher. B' iadsan an sgioba ball-coise. Bee-at-san an skyi-ba bal ko-sha. They were the football team. Negative Statements Negative statements are formed by placing cha before the dependent form (cha becomes chan before a vowel or fh-). For example, cha do choisich thu (you didn't walk), cha do dh'ith mi (I didn't eat) and cha do dh'fhalbh iad (they didn't leave). Cha do cheannaich mi càise. Kha duh hya-nihh mee kah-sha. I didn't buy cheese. Cha do cheannaich thu càise. Kha duh hya-nihh oo kah-sha. You didn't buy cheese. Cha do cheannaich e càise. Kha duh hya-nihh eh kah-sha. He didn't buy cheese. Cha do cheannaich i càise. Kha duh hya-nihh ee kah-sha. She didn't buy cheese. Cha do cheannaich sinn càise. Kha duh hya-nihh shiñ kah-sha. We didn't buy cheese. Cha do cheannaich sibh càise. Kha duh hya-nihh shiv kah-sha. You (plural) didn't buy cheese. Cha do cheannaich iad càise. Kha duh hya-nihh ee-at kah-sha. They didn't buy cheese. Questions and Answers Questions are formed by adding an before the dependent form. An becomes am before b, f, m or p. For example, an do choisich e? (did he walk?), an do dh'ith i? (did she eat?) and an do dh'fhòn? (did they phone?). An do cheannaich mi reòiteag? An duh hya-nihh mee rroh-tyak? Did I buy ice cream? An do cheannaich thu reòiteag? An duh hya-nihh oo rroh-tyak? Did you buy ice cream? An do cheannaich e reòiteag? An duh hya-nihh eh rroh-tyak? Did he buy ice cream? An do cheannaich i reòiteag? An duh hya-nihh ee rroh-tyak? Did she buy ice cream? An do cheannaich sinn reòiteag? An duh hya-nihh shiñ rroh-tyak? Did we buy ice cream? An do cheannaich sibh reòiteag? An duh hya-nihh shiv rroh-tyak? Did you (plural) buy ice cream? An do cheannaich iad reòiteag? An duh hya-nihh ee-at rroh-tyak? Did they buy ice cream? Special note: Questions are answered by repeating the verb. An do cheannaich thu iasg is sliseagan? Cheannaich. Cha do cheannaich. An duh hya-nihh oo ee-ask is shlyee-sha-gan? Hya-nihh. Kha duh hya-nihh. Did you buy fish and chips? Yes. No. An deach thu do dh'Alba? Chaigh. Cha deach. An dyekh oo duh gha-la-ba? Kha-ee. Kha dyekh. Did you go to Scotland? Yes. No. An tuirt i a h-ainm? Thuirt. Cha tuirt. An doom-tyee a heh-nem? Hoorrshch. Kha doorrshch. Did she say her name? Yes. No. The Past Continuous Tense Affirmative Statements Bha mi toilichte. Va mee to-lihh-tya. I was happy. Bha thu toilichte. Va oo to-lihh-tya. You were happy. Bha e toilichte. Va eh to-lihh-tya. He was happy. Bha i toilichte. Va ee to-lihh-tya. She was happy. Bha sinn toilichte. Va shiñ to-lihh-tya. We were happy. Bha sibh toilichte. Va shiv to-lihh-tya. You (plural) were happy. Bha iad toilichte. Va ee-at to-lihh-tya. They were happy. Negative Statements Cha robh mi a' leughadh. Kha ro mee a lyay-vagh. I was not reading. Cha robh thu a' leughadh. Kha ro oo a lyay-vagh. You were not reading. Cha robh e a' leughadh. Kha ro eh a lyay-vagh. He was not reading. Cha robh i a' leughadh. Kha ro ee a lyay-vagh. She was not reading. Cha robh sinn a' leughadh. Kha ro shiñ a lyay-vagh. We were not reading. Cha robh sibh a' leughadh. Kha ro shiv a lyay-vagh. You (plural) were not reading. Cha robh iad a' leughadh. Kha ro ee-at a lyay-vagh. They were not reading. Questions and Answers An robh mi aig an taigh? An ro mee ek an tuh-ee? Was I at home? An robh mi thu aig an taigh? An ro oo ek an tuh-ee? Were you at home? A robh e aig an taigh? An ro eh ek an tuh-ee? Was he at home? An robh i aig an taigh? An ro ee ek an tuh-ee? Was she at home? An robh sinn aig an taigh? An ro shiñ ek an tuh-ee? Were we at home? An robh sibh aig an taigh? An ro shiv ek an tuh-ee? Were you (plural) at home? An robh iad aig an taigh? An ro ee-at ek an tuh-ee? Were they at home? Special note: Questions are answered using bha for yes or cha robh for no. An robh thu ag obair? Bha. Cha robh. An ro oo ag o-bir? Va. Kha ro. Were you working? Yes. No. The Future Continuous Tense Affirmative Statements Bidh mi toilichte. Bee mee to-lihh-tya. I will be happy. Bhidh tu toilichte. Bee too to-lihh-tya. You will be happy. Bidh e toilichte. Bee eh to-lihh-tya. He will be happy. Bidh i toilichte. Bee ee to-lihh-tya. She will be happy. Bidh sinn toilichte. Bee shiñ to-lihh-tya. We will be happy. Bidh sibh toilichte. Bee shiv to-lihh-tya. You (plural) will be happy. Bidh iad toilichte. Bee ee-at to-lihh-tya. They will be happy. Negative Statements Cha bhi mi ag obair. Kha vee mee ag o-bir. I won't be working. Cha bhi thu ag obair. Kha vee oo ag o-bir. You won't be working. Cha bhi e ag obair. Kha vee eh ag o-bir. He won't be working. Cha bhi i ag obair. Kha vee ee ag o-bir. She won't be working. Cha bhi sinn ag obair. Kha vee shiñ ag o-bir. We won't be working. Cha bhi sibh ag obair. Kha vee shiv ag o-bir. You (plural) won't be working. Cha bhi iad ag obair. Kha vee ee-at ag o-bir. They won't be working. Questions and Answers Am bi mi sgìth? Am bee mee skyee? Will I be tired? Am bi thu sgìth? Am bee oo skyee? Will you be tired? Am bi e sgìth? Am bee eh skyee? Will he be tired? Am bi i sgìth? Am bee ee skyee? Will she be tired? Am bi sinn sgìth? Am bee shiñ skyee? Will we be tired? Am bi sibh sgìth? Am bee shiv skyee? Will you (plural)be tired? Am bi iad sgìth? Am bee ee-at skyee? Will they be tired? Special note: Questions are answered using bidh or bithidh for yes or cha bhi for no. Am bi thu ag obair? Bidh or Bidhith. Cha bhi. Am bee oo ag o-bir? Bee or Bee-ee. Kha vee. Will you be working? Yes. No. The Simple Future Tense Affirmative Statements The simple future is used to show future actions (I will do), present habitual actions (I do every day) and ability (I can do). The simple future has an independent form, a relative independent form and a dependent form. Special note: the pronoun thu (you) changes to tu after the independent form and the relative form. The independent form is created from the root verb by adding -(a)idh. The independent form is used when the verb comes first in the sentence or stands alone. For example, òlaidh tu (you will drink), cuiridh tu (you will put) and falbhaidh tu (you will leave). The relative independent form is created from the root verb by adding -(e)as and leniting the verb. If the relative independent verb form begins with a vowel of fh, then dh' is prefixed. The relative independent form is used after independent verbal particles such as a (who, the person that), bhon a (since, because), carson a (why question), ciamar a (how question), cò (a) (who question), cuin a (when question),dè a (what question), ged a (although), ma (if), mar a (as, how), na (that which, what relative) and nuair a (when, the time that). For example, cuin a dh'òlas tu? (when will you drink?), nuair a dh'òlas tu (when you drink), ma ghabhas tu (if you take), dè a ghabhas tu? (what will you take?), cò a bhruidhneas? (who will speak?). The dependent form is simply the same as the root verb. This form is used after dependent verbal particles such as an (whether, question particle), càit a/càite a (where question), far an (where, the place that), gun/gu (that), gus an (until), mura/mur (if not), mus (before), and nach (that l, negative question particle). For example: cuir (put) becomes cuiridh (will put independent), a chuireas (relative) and cuir (dependent). ceannaich (buy) becomes ceannaichidh (will buy independent), a cheannaicheas (relative) and ceannaich (dependent). falbh (leave) becomes falbhaidh (will leave independent), a dh'fhalbhas (relative) and falbh (dependent). gabh (get) becomes gabhaidh (will get independent), a ghabhas (relative) and gabh (dependent). iarr (want) becomes iarraidh (will want independent), a dh'iarras (relative) and iarr (dependent). ith (eat) becomes ithidh (will eat independent), a dh'itheas (relative) and ith (dependent). leugh (read) becomes leughaidh (will read independent), a leughas (relative) and leugh (dependent). lorg (look for) becomes lorgaidh (will look for independent), a lorgas (relative) and lorg (dependent). sgrìobh (write) becomes sgrìobhaidh (will write independent), a sgrìobhas (relative) and sgrìobh (dependent). òl (drink) becomes òlaidh (will drink independent), a dh'òlas (relative) and òl (dependent). Special note: Sometimes the second syllable is lost when future endings are added. bruidhinn (speak) becomes bruidhnidh (will speak independent), a bhruidhneas (relative) and bruidhinn (dependent). fosgail (open) becomes fosglaidh (will open independent), a dh'fhosglas (relative) and fosgail (dependent). innis (tell) becomes innsidh (will tell independent), a dh'innseas (relative) and innis (dependent). tachair (happen) becomes tachraidh (will happen independent), a thachras (relative) and tachair (dependent). Ceannaichidh mi aran. Kya-ni-hyee mee a-ran. I will buy bread. Ceannaichidh tu aran. Kya-ni-hyee too a-ran. You will buy bread. Ceannaichidh e aran. Kya-ni-hyee eh a-ran. He will buy bread. Ceannaichidh i aran. Kya-ni-hyee ee a-ran. She will buy bread. Ceannaichidh sinn aran. Kya-ni-hyee shiñ a-ran. We will buy bread. Ceannaichidh sibh aran. Kya-ni-hyee shiv a-ran. You (plural) will buy bread. Ceannaichidh iad aran. Kya-ni-hyee ee-at a-ran. They will buy bread. Irregular verbs may differ considerably between the independent and dependent forms because they are created from different roots. For example: abair (say) becomes their (will say independent), a their (relative) and abair (dependent). bi (be) becomes bidh (will be independent), a bhios (relative) and bi (dependent). dèan (do) becomes nì (will do independent), a nì (relative) and dèan (dependent). faic (see) becomes chì (will see independent), a chì (relative) and faic (dependent). gabh (get) becomes gheibh (will get independent), a gheibh (relative) and faigh (dependent). rach (go) becomes thèid (will go independent), a thèid (relative) and tèid (dependent). thig (come) becomes thig (will come independent), a thig (relative) and tig (dependent). thoir (give) becomes bheir (will give independent), a bheir (relative) and toir (dependent). Special note: Faic changes to chan fhaic and faigh changes to chan fhaigh. The dependent forms tèid, toir and tig are all pronounced with initial d- sound. For example: Thig e dhachaigh. Ma thig e dhachaigh. Cha tig e dhachaigh. An tig e dhachaigh? He will come home. If he comes (ie. will come) home. He won't come home. Will he come home? Their i sin. Ma their i sin. Cha abair i sin. An abair i sin? She will say that. If she says (ie. will say) that. She won't say that. Will she say that? Thèid sinn a-mach. Ma thèid sinn a-mach. Cha tèid sinn a-mach. An tèid sinn a-mach? We will go out. If we go (ie. will go) out. We won't go out. Will we go out? Chì iadsan an cat. Ma chì iadsan an cat. Chan fhaic iadsan an cat. Am faic iadsan an cat? They will see the cat. If they see (ie. will see) the cat. They won't see the cat. Will they see the cat? Gheibh tu litir. Ma gheibh tu litir. Chan fhaigh thu litir. An faigh thu litir? You will get a letter. If you get (ie. will get) a letter. You won't get a letter. Will you get a letter? Bheir iad duais. Ma bheir iad duais. Cha toir iad duais. An toir iad duais? They will give a prize. If they give (ie. will give) a prize. They won't give a prize. Will they give a prize? Negative Statements Negative statements are formed by placing cha before the dependent form (cha becomes chan before a vowel or fh-). Cha lenites the following verb except for verbs beginning with d, t and s. For example, chan òl thu (you won't drink), cha chuir thu (you won't put) and chan fhalbh thu (you won't leave). Cha cheannaich mi càise. Kha hya-nihh mee kah-sha. I won’t buy (any) cheese. Cha cheannaich thu càise. Kha hya-nihh oo kah-sha. You won’t buy (any) cheese. Cha cheannaich e càise. Kha hya-nihh eh kah-sha. He won’t buy (any) cheese. Cha cheannaich i càise. Kha hya-nihh ee kah-sha. She won’t buy (any) cheese. Cha cheannaich sinn càise. Kha hya-nihh shiñ kah-sha. We won’t buy (any) cheese. Cha cheannaich sibh càise. Kha hya-nihh shiv kah-sha. You (plural) won’t buy (any) cheese. Cha cheannaich iad càise. Kha hya-nihh ee-at kah-sha. They won’t buy (any) cheese. Questions and Answers Questions are formed by adding an before the dependent form. An becomes am before b, f, m or p. For example, an òl thu? (will you drink?), an cuir thu? (will you put?) and am falbh thu? (will you leave?). An ceannaich mi reòiteag? An kya-nihh mee rroh-tyak? Will I buy (any) ice cream? An ceannaich thu càise? An kya-nihh oo rroh-tyak? Will you buy (any) ice cream? An ceannaich e càise? An kya-nihh eh rroh-tyak? Will he buy (any) ice cream? An ceannaich i càise? An kya-nihh ee rroh-tyak? Will she buy (any) ice cream? An ceannaich sinn càise? An kya-nihh shiñ rroh-tyak? Will we buy (any) ice cream? An ceannaich sibh càise? An kya-nihh shiv rroh-tyak? Will you (plural) buy (any) ice cream? An ceannaich iad càise? An kya-nihh ee-at rroh-tyak? Will they buy (any) ice cream? Special note: Questions are answered by repeating the verb. An ceannaich thu iasg is sliseagan? Ceannaichidh. Cha cheannaich. An kya-nihh oo ee-ask is shlyee-sha-gan? Kya-ni-hyee. Kha hya-nihh. Will you buy fish and chips? Yes. No. An tèid thu do dh'Alba? Thèid. Cha tèid. An dyej oo duh gha-la-ba? Hej. Kha dyej. Will you go to Scotland? Yes. No. An faigh thu prèasant? Gheibh. Chan fhaigh. An fa-ee oo preh-sant? Yev. Khan a-ee. Will you get a present? Yes. No.