Correct a Beginner's First Composition?

[Zwalla28]

I started teaching myself Gaelic with any spare time I had a couple weeks ago. I've started with the book "Colloquial Scottish Gaelic". Anyways, I was stuck by a SmartBoard today with nothing to do, so I figured I'd try and write some things out . I used a dictionary to find the verb for playing, and the word for a board. Other than that, I drew it entirely from my head. I'd very much appreciate it if some of you could pick out all the errors I've made. Thanks!

Gàidhlig:
Tha mi a'caoinich bu chòir dhomh obair aig an fèis ann a Fearghas.
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'S mise Sgàire Uallas , agus tha mi am fear donn leis an lèine uaine. The cù mòr is donn agam. An t-ainm a tha air Ripley. Tha mi à Canada, agus tha mi a'fuireach ann an Waterloo. Glè bheagan Gàidhlig agam. An-diugh, tha mi a'dol gu mo thaigh ann an Waterloo. Tha iad ag ionnsachadh matamataig ach tha mi a'cluich leis an "dèile ghrinn"

Beurla
I'm thinking I should be working (didn't know the word for "volunteer") at the festival in Fergus.
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I am Zachary Wallace, and I am the brown-haired man with the green shirt. I have a big brown dog. His name is Ripley. I'm from Canada, and I live in Waterloo. I have a very little bit of Gaelic. Today, I am going to my house in Waterloo. They (the students, I don't know how to make nouns plural yet) are learning math but I am playing with the "smart board". (SmartBoard)

[faoileag]

Glè mhath!

You've done really well with so little Gaelic learning/teaching time.

The mistakes are basically 'ambitious' ones - you are trying to say things you don't yet have the grammar for, or you're using an unidiomatic word or phrase. That's par for the course with learners, but congratulations on getting right down to using it - too many beginners don't dare try!


Tha mi a'caoinich bu chòir dhomh obair aig an fèis ann a Fearghas.
Tha mi a' smaoineachadh gum bu chòir dhomh obair aig an fhèis ann am Fearghas mar shaor-thoileach.

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... tha mi am fear donn leis an lèine uaine. Is mise am fear leis... (Look up 'assertive verb')
The cù mòr is donn agam. An t-ainm a tha air Ripley. Tha cù mòr donn agam. 'S e Ripley an t-ainm a th' air.
Tha mi à Canada, agus tha mi a'fuireach ann an Waterloo. a' fuireach (space!)
Glè bheagan Gàidhlig agam. Tha glè bheag de Ghàidhlig agam.
An-diugh, tha mi a'dol gu mo thaigh ann an Waterloo. a' dol (space) dhachaigh (home) / dhan taigh agam - to my house (the building)
Tha iad ag ionnsachadh matamataig ach tha mi a'cluich leis an "dèile ghrinn" - Tha na h-oileanaich ag ionnsachadh....a' cluich....

NO idea what 'smart board' is.
Bòrd glic?

I see Am Faclair Beag has 'cairt thapaidh' for smart card (with chip etc).
Has that established itself, anyone?
What about smartphone?

[Seonaidh]

Ay, not bad at all. Likewise no idea on "smartboard" etc.

You've run up against a common problem for those with a background in non-Celtic Indo-European languages (e.g. English) and that is how to tr*nsl*t* the possession verb (e.g. "to have" in English or "tener" in Spanish). The usual way of saying you have something in Gaelic is to say that the something is at you - although this varies according to what the "something" is and what sort of "possession" you are suggesting.

You've already used this - more-or-less right - in "Tha cù mòr donn agam" (lit. "A big brown dog is at me"). However, in another place you've maybe tried to sidestep the problem by saying you're brown (rather than that you've got brown hair). Anyway, here goes.

First, as Gull says, you can't have things like "Tha mise am fear..." - Gaelic just doesn't work like that ("I am the man..."), as such verb forms as "tha", "a bheil", "bha", "an robh", "bhiodh" etc. can't be used as what they call a "cupola", i.e. a verb to equate two things ("I am the man", "The answer is 7" and so on). For that, you need to use forms like "is" and "bu", both usually abbreviated/mutilated to forms like "'S e" and "B' e". So, you could say "Is mise am fear donn" for "I am the brown man" - which, in fairness, would usually be taken to mean your hair was brown (depends on context). If, however, you actually wanted to say something like "I've got brown hair" you'd actually say "Tha falt donn orm", literally "Brown hair is on me". If you wanted to say "I have a green shirt" you might say "Tha leine uaine agam" - but that would imply general possession rather than, e.g., that you were actually wearing a green shirt. For that "le" is better - "Tha leine uaine leam"

[faoileag]

[Thrissel]

Eadar dà sgeul, tha na faclairean agam "glic" eadar-theangachadh mar an dà chuid "smart, clever" agus "wise". Nise, on a tha diofar mòr mòr eadar "smart/clever" agus "wise", a bheil buadhairean eile sa Ghàidhlig, feadhainn a nì an diofar seo?

By the way, my dictionaries trnslt "glic" as both "smart, clever" and "wise". Now, as there is a lot of a difference between "smart/clever" and "wise", are there other adjectives in Gaelic, ones which make the difference?

[faoileag]

Lorg mi 'fòn(-làimhe) sgairteil' air 'smartphone' an seo (goireas-sgoile):

Artaigil:
https://www.dailywhat.org.uk/2013/04/ta ... age=gaelic

Ceasnachadh:
https://www.dailywhat.org.uk/2013/04/ta ... rsion.aspx


Agus tòrr abairtean eile den leithid cuideachd.

iPadn (iolra)
compiutair clàir - tablet comp. (no hyphen?)
clàr - tablet
clàradair-bhideo
fèin-aithne a ghoid
fios sàmhach - silent call
teacsan ana-cainnteach
burraidheachd saidbeir
teachdaireachan teacsa droch-rùnach a chur air adhart

amsaa


Chan eil fhios agam a bheil iad gu math stèidhichte mar a tha iad an sin mar-thà, no a bheil iad making it up as they go along...

Beachdan?

[Thrissel]

Saidbeir? O mo chreach...

[faoileag]

Duilich! Typo!

Saidhbeir.

A bheil sin nas fheàrr, no nach e...?

[akerbeltz]

Saidhbeir.

A bheil sin nas fheàrr, no nach e...?

Dìreach mur eil fhios aig duine gur e sewer a th' ann an sàibhear (leis an aon fhuaimneachadh). Tha sinne (agus tha sin a' gabhail a-steach gach bathar eadar Firefox is Microsoft Office) a' cleachdadh tapaidh airson smart.

Only if you don't know that sàibhear (with the same pronunciation) means sewer. We (meaning all the products from Firefox to Microsoft Office) use tapaidh for smart.

[Zwalla28]

I haven't worked at gaelic much over the past couple months do to exams and the like, but have gotten back at it again and I was wondering if any of you could correct some sentences I've tried to put together spontaneously, in conversation:

Ciamar a dhèanamh thu air an deuchainn agad?
How did you do on your test?

Tha sinn ag obair nuair tha mi ann an dachaigh agam.
We are working when(once) I'm home.

[faoileag]

dèan, a' dèanamh is an irregular verb - the past tense is 'rinn' (made, did)

Ciamar a rinn thu anns an deuchainn agad? (I would say 'in your test')

or (to keep it simple)

Ciamar a bha an deuchainn agad? - how was your test?


'at home' is 'aig an taigh'.
...nuair a tha mi aig an taigh.

'dhachaigh' is 'homewards / to my home'
Tha mi a' dol dhachaigh.

[Zwalla28]

Tha mi daonnan a' tilleadh... (I am always returning...)

Seo an tweets agam sa Ghàidhlig, agus tha mi gur n-iarraidh a cheartachadh an tweets seo, mas e ur toil e? Biodh e glè mholte!
(These are my tweets in Gaelic, and I want you to correct these tweets, please? It would be very appreciated(praised?)!

Tha iomadh amaideach, mar seo tha mi duilich. (Many are foolish, thus I am sorry)

Co-dhiù, seo iad (anyways, here they are):

"Chan urrain domh sguir a dh'èisteachd ris an òran seo! Seo e:"
(I can't stop listening to this song! This is it:)

"Bha a' cheist agam freagairte! Tapadh leibh, @*******! (a bheil "freagairte" ceart? Chan eil mi cinnteach...)"
(My question was answered! thank you! (Is "freagairte" correct? I'm not sure...))

"Tha an t-sìde ro blath an-diugh airson mi fhèin."
(The weather is too warm today for myself.)

"Deagh naidheachd, a h-uile duine! Tha mi a' dol dachaigh a màireach!"
(Good news, everyone! I am going home tomorrow!)

"Carson a biodh sibh ag iarraidh am fios sin agaibh... Chan eil fios agam."
(Why you would want to know that... I don't know.)

"Tha mi ag èisteachd ri "A' Mire ri Mòir" air Raidio Nan Gaidheal agus tha an t-ostàir ag ràdh "idir idir idir" daonnan."
(I am listening to "A' Mire ri Mòir" on Raidio Nan Gaidheal and the host is always saying "idir idir idir".)

"Bha boireannaich bhrèagha ann aig a' mhargaid sa mhadainn seo"
(There were pretty women at the market this morning)

"Tha an dealbh seo glè bhreagha gu dearbh, ach tha e a' sealltainn as fheàrr an seo!"
(This picture is very pretty indeed, but it looks better (from) here!)

"Tha mi ag iarraidh a dhol do fèis ann an Alba"
(I want to go to a festival in Scotland)

"Cha bhi mi a' dol dhan obair agam a-màireach!"
(I will not be going to my work tomorrow!)


Tapadh leibh!

[poor_mouse]

Chan eil mi cinnteach idir, ach...

Tha mi ag iarraidh oirbh an tweets seo a cheartachadh...
No 's dòcha:
Nach ceartaich sibh an tweets seo?

Tha mòran daoine (car) amaideach...

ro bhlath / ro theth

a' dol dhachaigh

Carson a bhiodh... No s' dòcha: Carson a bu toil leibh fios fhaighinn? (???)

òstair

...tha e a' sealltainn nas fheàrr bhon a seo

...a dhol do dh'fhèis... No: ...a dhol don fhèis (ma tha thu ag ràdh mu dheidhinn na fèise sònraichte)

[GunChleoc]

'S iomadh mìos on a sheo ach 's dòcha gum bi ceartachadh no dhà feumail fhathast

na tweets

Bhiodh e glè mholta! More idiomatic: Bhithinn fada 'nur comain!

Tha mòran dhiubh amaideach @luchag: chan eil e a-mach air daoine, ach air na tweets

"Chan urrain domh sgur a dh'èisteachd ris an òran seo! Seo e:"

"Chaidh a' cheist agam freagairte! Or maybe: Fhreagair seo a' cheist agam

"Tha an t-sìde ro bhlàth an-diugh air mo shon mi fhèin."
(The weather is too warm today for myself.)

"Deagh naidheachd, a h-uile duine! Tha mi a' dol dhachaigh a-màireach!" - dachaigh is an odd duck. When you're moving, it's dhachaigh.


"Carson a bhiodh sibh ag iarraidh am fios sin agaibh... Chan eil fios agam." @luchag: I like your solution - we can expand on that: Carson a bu toil leibh am fios seo fhaighinn?, or: Carson a bu toil leibh fios fhaighinn air seo?

"Tha mi ag èisteachd ri "A' Mire ri Mòir" air Raidio Nan Gaidheal agus tha an t-òstair ag ràdh "idir idir idir" daonnan."
'S e an fhìrinn a th' agad

"Bha boireannaich bhrèagha ann aig a' mhargaid sa mhadainn seo"

"Tha an dealbh seo glè bhreagha gu dearbh, ach tha e a' sealltainn as fheàrr an seo!" - more idiomatic: ach tha coltas nas fhearr air (bh)on a sheo / (bh)o an seo. The last bit depends on dialect.

"Tha mi ag iarraidh a dhol do dh'fhèis ann an Alba"

"Cha bhi mi a' dol dhan obair agam a-màireach!" Deagh bheachd. An d' fhuair thu cead on cheannard?

luchag: ma tha thu a' bruidhinn mu dheidhinn na fèise sònraichte

[Zwalla28]

Tapadh leibh, a ghunchleoc! Bu toigh leam smaoineachadh gu bheil mi beagan as fheàrr leis a' Ghàidhlig na bha mi an uair sin co-dhiù, ach tha na ceartachaidhean agaibh glè chuideachail fhathast.