Query about Prepositions

[alsaf]

I would be grateful for help to ensure I understand the meaning of some prepositions.

Firstly, the preposition ri(s). It says in Taic that it means at, against giving an example of ri sgàthan (against a mirror). I presume that the meaning of ri is determined by the context it is in the sentence, for example ri sgàthan means against a mirror but ri an taigh could mean at the house. Is this correct or am I 'thinking in English' when trying to determine the meaning of ri?

The same goes with gu(s). Can this mean gus an taigh (to the house) and gu meadhan là (until mid-day)?

[akerbeltz]

Yes. In a nutshell, the basic meaning of ri is against but because most people first encounter this with the verb bruidhinn (ri), where it happens to get translated as to in English, they get this one totally screwed up.

Have a shufty at http://www.akerbeltz.org/beagangaidhlig ... mar_ri.htm

[Níall Beag]

The way ri was presented to me was by contrast to le.

le and ri can both often be translated to "with", the difference is that le is passive, but that ri involves some kind of reaction -- either cooperation or resistance.

When you're bruidhinn ri, you're talking with someone, and that's because they're talking back to you. A sabaid ri someone is a fight with someone as they're fighting back against you... and suddenly we have against, like leaning against.

[poor_mouse]

Mòran taing dhut a-rithist, Akerbeltz! Tapad leibh, a Neill Bhig!

I appreciate "bruidhinn ri": it's so understandable!

But "thuirt mi ris..." -- is not so obvious.
A bheil sin ceart: abair/can + ri, ach innis + do... (as action without reaction)?

And faighnich/freagair (somebody) -- without any preposition or with do?
"Dh'fhaighnich mi mo charaid an ceist seo" no "Dh'fhaighnich mi dhaibh"?
"Dh'freagair mi an duine" no "Dh'freagair mi dhan duine/dha"?

[taic]

Taing dhuibh airson comharrachadh sin dhomh. Chì mi anns na leasain tràth nach eil an seagh 'to' cho soilleir.
Thanks for pointing this out. I can see from earlier lessons that the meaning 'to' is not clear.

Tha mi 'n dòchas gun tuigear fiamh an fhacail à leasain eile:
Later lessons delve wee bit deeper into the nuance:

Lesson 18 on Prepositional Pronouns;
Lesson 55 shows, with examples, how prepositions are used with commonly used verbs.

[alsaf]

Mòran taing. The meaning of ri makes more sense now.

[poor_mouse]

Mòran taing!

[Níall Beag]

I've just noticed something...

Newton's third law...

Every action has an equal and opposite ri-action....

(Sorry!)

[GunChleoc]

Tha am fear seo a' còrdadh rium

[poor_mouse]

Tha sin glè mhath gu dearbh!

[akerbeltz]

Glan!