Hallò. Is mise Frangag.

[Frangag]

Hallò. Is mise Frangag. Tha mi à Sasainn ach tha mi a’ fuireach nis ann an Cinn Tire ann an Earra-Ghàidheal. Tha mi ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig.

[faoileag]

Fàilte ort, a Fhrangaig!
Nach math a tha thu ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig!
Tha mi an dòchas gum bi thu an seo gu tric!


Welcome, Frangag - isn't it good that you're learning Gaelic. I hope you'll be here often.

[GunChleoc]

Fàilte chridheil ort

[Seonaidh]

Fàilte a Fhrangag. Dè a' Bheurla air d' ainm - Fran?

[Frangag]

Halò a-rithist. Tapadh leibh airson ur fàilte. Tha an t-ainm a tha orm a’Bheurla Frances - no Fran! Is toigh leam sgrìobadh. Tha i breagha an-seo an-diugh agus an t-seachdain-sa uile. Bha mi a’coimhead ball-coise an-dé. Chan eil ach truagh!

[Seonaidh]

Tha an t-ainm a tha orm a’Bheurla Frances - no Fran! Is toigh leam sgrìobadh. Tha i breagha an-seo an-diugh agus an t-seachdain-sa uile. Bha mi a’coimhead ball-coise an-dé.

Maybe you know this - when you're using "tha", "bheil", "bha", "robh" and such like bits associated with "to be", you can't use them like equations as you might in English, e.g. "My name in English = Frances". For that sort of thing, you need to use "is", "bu", "an" etc, which usually get joined with a random "e" (occasionally "i"), e.g. "Is Frances an t-ainm Beurla a tha orm", more usually "'S e Frances an t-ainm Beurla a th' orm". To add the extra, it's "- chan e Fran!".

As for it being fine today and all this week, you really need "san", as in "Tha i brèagha an seo an-diugh agus san t-seachdain-sa uile".

While it is permissible to watch telly (Bha mi a' coimhead an telebhisean...), "coimhead" usually means "to look": you wouldn't really say "I was looking football yesterday" - and you don't in Gaelic either. Try "Bha mi a' coimhead air a' bhall-coise an-dè".

'S math a rinn sibh co-dhiù! - You did well anyway! (literally, "It's good that you did anyway")

I think it's "the norm" on this forum to use "thu" rather than "sibh", as we like to think of ourselves as friends. But don't forget that "sibh" is the "formal" term for "you [singular]" as well as being the standard plural form. This, incidentally, is one difference between Gaelic and Irish. You wouldn't want to say "thu" to your granny...

[Frangag]

Hi Seonaidh

Mòran taing! Thank you for your corrections. They're much appreciated. I'm starting from scratch here writing so it's going to be a steep learning curve! I'll go through them in English or we'll be here till Doomsday )

Maybe you know this - when you're using "tha", "bheil", "bha", "robh" and such like bits associated with "to be", you can't use them like equations as you might in English, e.g. "My name in English = Frances". For that sort of thing, you need to use "is", "bu", "an" etc, which usually get joined with a random "e" (occasionally "i"), e.g. "Is Frances an t-ainm Beurla a tha orm", more usually "'S e Frances an t-ainm Beurla a th' orm". To add the extra, it's "- chan e Fran!".

OK - got that except that I meant to add 'or Fran'. If I'd left out the dash, would it have meant that?

As for it being fine today and all this week, you really need "san", as in "Tha i brèagha an seo an-diugh agus san t-seachdain-sa uile".

Is this the contraction for 'anns an' ?

While it is permissible to watch telly (Bha mi a' coimhead an telebhisean...), "coimhead" usually means "to look": you wouldn't really say "I was looking football yesterday" - and you don't in Gaelic either. Try "Bha mi a' coimhead air a' bhall-coise an-dè".

OK; out of interest is there another common verb which means more 'watching' than 'looking at'? Or would this construction be right with any similar verb?

I think it's "the norm" on this forum to use "thu" rather than "sibh", as we like to think of ourselves as friends. But don't forget that "sibh" is the "formal" term for "you [singular]" as well as being the standard plural form. This, incidentally, is one difference between Gaelic and Irish. You wouldn't want to say "thu" to your granny...

I was using the plural here but I'll use thu in future where appropriate!

[Seonaidh]

I misunderstood! I saw "...Frances - no Fran!" and interpreted the fact you'd used an exclamation mark to mean "my name is this - not that!". But yes, "no" is definitely "or" - so Frances or Fran, then.

Yes - "san" (no apostrophes or cromagan) is an abbreviation of "anns an" (you also get "sa" and "sna" - no apostrophes - as abbreviations of "anns a'" [with apostrophe] and "anns na").

Can't think of a "watch" word really. Another "look" word is, of course "seall" (tha mi a' sealltainn orra - I'm looking at them). You have The Black Watch - Am Freiceadan Dubh - and so forth, but that's not really what you're after. Just mind that the meaning of the English word "watch" has broadened over the years: it didn't originally mean "to casually look at", as it were, but more "to keep an eye on" or "to guard".

Cha robh mi cinnteach gum b' ann iolra a bha "sibh" anns na sgrìobh thu. - I wasn't sure that it was plural you in what you wrote.
(and that's a wee bit tricky if it's all lookup stuff you're doing: "Cha robh mi" - "I was not"; "gum b' ann iolra" - a more usual form of "gum bu iolra", "that it was plural"; "a bha sibh" - that was "you"; anns na "in that which")

[Frangag]

Hi Seonaidh...

Thanks again - I'll be back later this week (visitors arriving pm). Don't worry, I didn't mean I'm looking up phrases to use to write with, though it'll probably seem like it to start with! It's just the first time I'm using the language actively and it's not an easy language to get your head round.

[GunChleoc]

to watch TV = coimhead air TBh

although the "air" is often dropped these days. I personally prefer it with the "air" though.