New Gaelic Course

Aonad a h-aon

Introduces the preposition 'air', which means "on":

The structure of names, based on the preposition 'air':

’S e ___ a th’ air ___

Components: 

•  'S e is the abbreviated form of Is e; it means 'it is' (literally, 'is it').
• a th' air is abbreviated from a tha air; it means 'which is on'. Gaelic doesn't combine words like in English, e.g. 'does not' becomes 'doesn't'.

In English we say the name belongs to the person/thing, e.g. "it's his name". In Gaelic, names are 'on' the person/thing, hence the use of the preposition 'air'. 

e.g. 1 - Mo bhràthair = Tormod >’S e Tormod a th' air mo bhràthair;

                    [translation: 'it is Norman which is on my brother']

e.g. 2 - an tidsear = Lilidh >’S e Lilidh a th' air an tidsear;

                    [translation: 'it is Lily which is on the teacher']

e.g. 3 -  a’ bhùth = Tesco >’S e Tesco a th' air a’ bhùth;

                    [translation: 'it is Tesco which is on the shop']

e.g. 4 - an taigh-òsta = Marriott >’S e Marriott a th' air an taigh-òsta.

                    [translation: 'it is Marriot which is on the hotel']

A good YouTube tutorial which explains this in more detail, produced by Jason Bond (of Gaelic with Jason), can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh_bP9tVAZU 

Mandatory Phrases (the student is expected to understand the following phrases)

• Ceart gu leòr? - Okay? (lit. 'Right enough.')
• Ceart gu leòr - Okay.
• Glè mhath - Very good.
• Sin thu fhèin!/Sin sibh fhèin! - Well done! (lit. 'that is yourself'!')
• A h-aon, a dhà, a trì, a ceithir, a còig, a sia, a seachd, a h-ochd, a naoi, a deich, aon deug, dhà dheug, trì deug,  ceithir deug, còig deug, sia deug, seachd deug, ochd deug, naoi deug, fichead.
• Seo Gabriel - This is Gabriel.
• Seo Tòmas agus Eilidh - This is Tomas and Eilidh.
• Seo Còmhradh a h-aon - This is conversation one.
• Is mise Gabriel - I am Gabriel (lit. 'is me Gabriel').
• 'S e Seumas a tha oirbh* - You are called James (lit. 'Is it James that is on you.')
• Tapadh leat/Tapadh leibh - Thank you (lit. 'thanks with you.')
• Thu fhèin a-nis/Sibh fhèin a-nis - Yourself now.
• 'S e Seumas a tha ort - You are called James (lit. 'it is James that is on you')
• Dè an t' ainm a th' ort? - What is your name? (lit. 'What the name that is on you?')
• 'S e Gabriel a tha orm* - I am called Gabriel (lit. 'It is Gabriel that is on me.')
• Mar sin leat - Goodbye (lit. 'Like that with you.')
• Ciamar a tha thu ag ràdh? - How do you say?
• Can X anns a’ Ghàidhlig - Say X in Gaelic

[*’S e Gabriel an t-ainm a th’ orm; ’S e Seumas an t-ainm a th’ air - is the more formal structure]

Aonad a dhà

Introduces the preposition 'ann', which translates to 'in'.

Counting 0-19:

Neoini (nee-oh-ni) - zero

a h-aon (ah hoon) - one

a dhà (ag gah) - two

a trì (ah tree) - three

a ceithir (ah ki-hid) - four

a còig (ah coy-g) - five

a sia (ah she-ah) - six

a seachd (ah shack) - seven

a h-ochd (ah hock) - eight

a naoi (ah noo-oy) - nine

a deich (ah jayke) - ten

Aon deug (ah hoon jee-ug) - eleven

Dhà deug (yah yeug) - twelve

Trì deug (tree jee-ug) - thirteen

Ceithir deug (ki-hid jee-ug) - fourteen

Còig deug (coy-g jee-ug) - fifteen

Sia deug (she-ah jee-ug) - sixteen

Seachd deug (shack jee-ug) - seventeen

Ochd deug (Ach jee-ug) - eighteen

Naoi deug (noo-oy deug) - nineteen

Fichead (feek-id) - twenty

vocabulary

loidhne (loin-eh) - line

Mandatory Phrases (the student is expected to understand the following phrases):

• De doh cor?
• 'S e Gabriel a th' orm.
• Tha mi a' fuireach ann an Glaschu an-dràsta.
• 'S e àite àlainn a th' ann.
• Tha colaiste ann an t-Eilean Sgitheanach.
• 'S e Sabhal Mòr Ostaig a th' oirre.
• Tha sgioba dràma ann an Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
• 'S e "Sgioba Dràma SMO" a th' orra.
• 'S e sgioba glè mhath a th' ann.
• Tha thu a' fuireach ann am baile beag ann an Slèite.
• 'S e Àird a' Bhàsair a th' air.
• 'S e àite brèagha a th' ann.
• Tha taigh-òsta ann an Àird a' Bhàsair.
• 'S e "Taigh-òsta Àird a' Bhàsair" a th' air.
• 'S e taigh-òsta snog a th' ann.
• Tha uisge-beatha blasta ann an Taigh-òsta Àird a' Bhàsair.
• Tha mi a' fuireach an seo ann an Slèite a-nis, ach tha mi à Glaschu.
• 'S e baile mòr a th' ann. 'S e baile glè mhòr a th' ann! Ach 's e baile snog a th' ann cuideachd.

Scottish Gaelic Pronouns + Emphatic Form

Blah blah blah

Aonad a trì

The preposition 'às', which means "out of" or "from":

Tha (describing)

     Tha   +       noun        +    a) preposition / b) adjective / c) verbal noun

a) Tha   +   an cofaidh   +   às an Spàinn.

Tha an cofaidh às an Spàinn.                    The coffee is from Spain.

b) Tha   +   an cofaidh   +   blasta.

Tha an cofaidh blasta.                          The coffee is tasty.

c) Tha   +   an cofaidh   +   ag obair.

Tha an cofaidh ag obair!                       The coffee is working!       (i.e. The caffeine is doing its job to wake me up)

'S e (defining)

                        X    =    Y

'S e   +            noun          +   a th' ann.

'S e  +          cofaidh         +   a th' ann.

'S e cofaidh a th' ann.                         It is a coffee.

'S e  +   cofaidh blasta  +   a th' ann.

'S e cofaidh blasta a th' ann.                   It is a tasty coffee.