Fòram na Gàidhlig

Màiri na Coille wrote:Here's my "more later"...a little more, much later...

6. I was in (place) in the summer.
Bha mi ann an Pàirc Yellowstone ann an t-Samhraidh.

ann am Pàirc - am before b, f, m p

7. It was very big / pretty / small / cold / hot etc.
Bha i glè mhòr agus glè bhrèagha.

8. Where were you in the summer?
Càit' gun robh sibh ann an t-Samraidh?

Càit' an robh thu anns an t-samhradh / as t-samhradh

gun is the relative, for example he saw that he was... chunnaic e gun robh e..., ann an - in a, but anns an or anns a' in the, samhraidh would be the genitive of samhradh, it doesn't alter in the prepositional.

Dòchas gum bheil seo gad chuideachadh. Hope this helps

Tapadh leibh. I'm admittedly sadly confused as to when I'm supposed to use the genitive and when I'm not... ach tha mi ag ionnsachadh daonnan! (I'm always learning!)

Tha basic rule for the genitive is: If you have more than one noun following each other, the last one is in the genitive. In this case, only the last noun of the lot can have an article.

iuchair (N) an dorais (G)
iuchair (N) doras (N) na h-eaglaise (G)

Keep in mind that verbal nouns are also nouns, and that complex prepositions (airson, air sàilleibh, air beulaibh, ri taobh etc) usually end in a noun too, and they count! However, this is getting lost, especially when the noun doesn't have an article (more specific grammar speak: indefinite nouns). So, the rule that is usually taught for this is: After verbal nouns, put the following noun in the genitive only if it has an article.

Tha mi a' fosgladh (N) an dorais (G)
Tha mi a' fosgladh (N) dora(i)s (N/G)

ri taobh (N) an dorais (G)
ri taobh (N) dorais (G)

"airson" is losing the genitive as well:

airson (= air son, N) na h-eaglaise (G)
airson eaglais(e) (N/G)

Ceart ma-tha...that makes a little more sense. I'll keep working at it.

1. I am from .... (name of place)
Tha mi à Astràilia agus as an Rìoghachd Aonaichte. (I'm a dual national. That just means I'm a very confused person.)

2. I am living in (place). It's in.... (country / state etc)
Tha mi a' fuireach anns Ironbank/ Beò mi anns Ironbank. Tha e anns Astràilia-a-Deas, faisg air Adelaide.

3. Where are you living?
Dè a bheil thu/sibh a' fuireach?/ Dè beò thu/sibh?

4. That's interesting. Is it near the sea? - Yes /No.
Glè mhath. A bheil e faisg air a' mhuir? Tha/ chan eil.

5. I'm learning Gaelic, but sometimes it's difficult.
Tha mi ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig, ach...

6. I was in (place) in the summer.
Bha mi anns an Spàinn anns an t-samhradh. (Bha mi ag ionnsachadh Spàinntis ach chan eil mòran agam!).

7. It was very big / pretty / small / cold / hot etc.
Bha e glè glè glè teth, airson bha e samhradh anns an Spain. Tha e geamhradh anns Astràilia a-nis!

8. Where were you in the summer?
Dè an robh thu/sibh anns an samhradh?

9. I like (ice-cream / coffee etc)
Is toigh le mi tì.

10. I don't like .....
Cha toigh le mi bainne.

11. Do you like....? - Yes / No.
An toigh le thu/sibh...? - Is toigh/ Cha toigh.

12. I have a car (bike etc). Do you have a car (etc)? - Yes / No.
Tha an càr agam. A bheil an càr agat/agaibh? - Tha/ chan eil.

13. My car is red(etc). It was cheap / expensive.
Tha mo càr (red). Bha e (?).

14. My car (etc) is in the garage (etc). Where is your car (etc)? - It's ...... (say where)
Tha mo càr anns an sabhal. Dè tha do/ur càr? Tha e anns an achadh.

15. My brother has a dog. It's brown and white.
Tha an cù air mo bhrathair. Tha e (brown) agus (white).

16. The dog's tail is very long.
Tha an (tail) aige (air an cù) glè mhòr.

17. My parents have two cats and three goldfishes. The cats are big and lazy.
Tha dha càtean agus trì iasgean air mo pharantan. Tha na càtean mhor agus chan eil iad a' deanamh neoini idir.

18. Do you have a pet? - Yes / No
A bheil an peata agat/agaibh? - Tha/ chan eil.

19. Aren't pets nice? - Yes, usually.
Cha bheil peatachan math? - Tha gu dearbh.

20. Now I have a sore head!
Tha an ceann bochd agam a-nis!

Well, I definitely did more than last time. Whether I did any better remains to be seen. I suppose this is the difference a few months makes... although admittedly I only had about three weeks of Gàidhlig to me last time I tried this! I've got to question the relevance of some of what I'm learning, but! I don't know any colours.

Feedback and constructive criticism and corrections are much appreciated.

-Raghnaid NicGaraidh.

I hope these help. I can't guarantee 100% correctness though and they might not all be colloquial. Some others here may be able to add to it.
You've done well though for such a short time. Keep it up.

1. 'S ann às Astràilia a tha mi.
Literally It's from Australia that I am, emphasising Australia.

2. Tha mi a' fuireach ann an Ironbank.
beò means alive rather than live.

3. Càite bheil thu a' fuireach?
Dè means what?

4. This is correct.

5. Tha mi ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig, ach the e doirbh (or duilich) uaireannan.

6. Bha mi anns an Spàinn as t-Samhradh.
You were correct but this contraction is more usual.

7.Tha an Geamhradh ann a-nis ann an Astràilia.

8. Càite an robh thu as t-Samhradh?

9. Is toigh leam, leat, leis, leibh ... etc
Conjugated prepositions or prepositional pronouns. There's lots of 'em.

10. Cha toigh leam .. etc

11. An toigh leat...?

12. Tha càr agam. A bheil càr agad? - Tha / Chan eil.
There's no indefinite article. Just don't use the article if you want an idefinite noun.

13. Tha an dath dearg air a' chàr agam. An robh e saor/daor? (Cheap/ Expensive) [air a' chàr - prepositional case, sometimes called dative case]
Mo is used for more personal or intrinsic things. Mo mhac, mo cheann...

14. Tha an càr agam anns a' gharaids. Càite bheil do chàr fhèin? (Where is your own car?)

15. Tha cù aig mo bhràthair (indefinite again). Tha na dathan donn agus geal air. (The dog is coloured brown and white) or 'S e cù donn agus geal a th' ann. (It's a brown and white dog).

16. Tha earball fada air a' chù.

17. Tha dà chait agus tri èisg aig mo phàrantan.

18. A bheil peata agad. Tha / Chan eil.

19. Nach eil peataichean laghach? Rhetorical question, aren't pets nice?

20. Tha ceann goirt orm a-nis. Illnesses and ailments are on you.

AlasdairBochd wrote:14. Tha an càr agam anns a' gharaids. Càite bheil do chàr fhèin? (Where is your own car?)

Càite bheil (no càit' a bheil) an càr agad fhèin (no agadsa)?

Tha thu ceart a Luchag chòir. Rinn mi an aon mearachd....

Seadh, tha mearachdan fada nas lìonmhoire agamsa! My errors are much more numerous!

Chan eil mi cinnteach am biodh seo ceart: "Nì mi fhìn fada nas motha mearachdan." -- I do much more errors.
Ma tha seo ceart: "mòran mearachdan", ciamar a bhios an ìre choimeasach?

"more" in the sense of a bigger quantity is usually the noun "barrachd" + genitive.

fada barrachd mhearachdan.

barrachd de = dative is also possible, and is used with pronouns.
barrachd dhiubh - more of them. (Also barrachd aca.)

Mòran taing! Bha amharas orm mu dheidhinn "barrachd"...
Agus "I do more errors than you":
Nì mi fhìn fada barrachd mhearachdan -- "oirbh" no "air an dèan sibh"?

chanainn: na dèan thusa/sibhse


'S dòcha bidh sin roghainn eile: Nì mise meachdaran nas trice na thusa/sibhse.
Maybe this is an alternative: I make mistake more often than you.

Seadh, mar sin:
Nì mi mearachdan fada nas trice na sibhse,
agus 's dòcha:
Nì mi fada barrachd dhiubh na dèan sibhse,
agus (a bheil seo ceart?):
Tha fada barrachd mhearachdan agamsa na tha agaibhse.

Ach dè mu dheidhinn "barrachd air"? A bheil diofar sam bith ann?

Nì mi fada barrachd dhiubh na nì sibhse,

Tha fada barrachd mhearachdan agamsa na tha agaibhse.

Faodaidh tu a ràdh mar sin

Ach dè mu dheidhinn "barrachd air"? A bheil diofar sam bith ann?

An example:

Barrachd air na mearachdan a rinn mi roimhe, rinn mi barrachd dhiubh a-nis!
In addition to the mistakes I made before, I made more of them now!

Mòran taing, a GhunChleoc!