Fàilte dhan fhòram / Welcome to the forum

[Màiri na Coille]

Mòran taing, AlasdairBochd. 'S e leam com-pàirt anns na h-Alba, agus 's toil leam ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig.

Many thanks, AlasdairBochd. I'm really interested in Scotland and I like learning Gaelic.

(As you can see, I'm not familiar with very many grammar constructions yet. Please correct me wherever I need it! )

[GunChleoc]

'S toil leam Gàidhlig ionnsachadh

[poor_mouse]

Tha mi 'n dòchas gu faigh thu tlachd às a' bhòrd-bhrath seo.

A GhunChleoc, nach e "gum faigh" a tha ann? Chan eil mi cinnteach...

It's "gum faigh" or not? I'm not sure...

[GunChleoc]

Tha thu ceart, 's e "gum faigh" a bu chòir a bhith ann.

You are right, it should be "gum faigh".

[poor_mouse]

Glè mhath!

[Màiri na Coille]

'S toil leam Gàidhlig ionnsachadh

Tapadh leibh!

[RuiseartDòmhnallach]

Haló, a h-uile duine!

‘S mise Richard - no Ruiseart, mar a chuir mi ‘nam ainm-cleachdaidh e - agus tha mi á Chicago ‘sna Stàitean Aonaichte. Thòisich mi ri Gàidhlig ionnsachadh anns an Iuchar a-bhòn-uiridh le Beag air Bheag agus Colin and Cumberland. Tha mi air iomadh stòrasan eile a chleachadh bhon latha sin, a’ gabhail a steach Akerbeltz, Blas na Gàidhlig, Can Seo, Speaking Our Language, TAIC, am fòram seo, na Litrichean Beaga ‘s na Litrichean do Luchd-Ionnsachaidh, BBC Alba, BBC Naidheachadan, Radio nan Gàidheal, amsaa. Tha mi an dòchas gum bi mi comasach air cùrsaichean air astar aig SMO no AGA a dhèanamh ‘san àm ri teachd, ach chan urrainn dhomh móran airgead a chosg an-dràsta. Bu toigh leam a dhol do féisean, mòdan, ‘s tachartasan eile mar sin cuideachd.

‘S aithne dhomh neach-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig eile an-seo ann an Chicago, ach ‘s àbhaist dhuinn a bhith cho trang nach eil sinn comasach air coinneamh ri chéile gu cunbhalach airson Gàidhlig ionnsachadh ‘s a bhruidhinn. Tha mi an dòchas gum bi sin ag atharrachadh a dh’aithghearr: tha an dà chuid esan is mise ag iarraidh ar chuid Ghàidhlig a leasachadh!

A bharrachd air a’ chànan fhéin, tha ùidh mhòr agam anns a’ cheòl Gàidhealach. ‘S e neach-ciùil a th’ annam, agus tha gràdh agam air na h-òrain Gàidhealach (no am biodh iad òrain Gàidhealaiche?). Tha mi air feadhainn ionnsachadh, agus nuair a bhios mo chuid Ghàidhlig nas fhearr, bu toigh leam feadhainn agam fhìn a sgrìobhadh (chan eil mi cinnteach có dhiubh a dh’eadar-theangaich mi sin gu ceart no nach do dh’eadear-theangaich). ‘S toigh leam seinnadairean Gàidhealach leithid Kathleen NicAonghais, Julie Fowlis, Griogair Labhruidh, agus James Graham.

Mar a sgrìobh mi roimhe, tha mi air a bhith a leughadh an bùird-bhrath seo fad beagan ‘s bliadhna gu leth a-nis, ach chan eil mi air dad a sgrìobhadh gu seo. Tha mi a’ creidsinn, ge-tà, gur mithich dhomh mo chuid Ghàidhlig a chleachdadh nas trice, agus a bharrachd air sin, tha móran ceistan agam daonnan gum bi mi comasach air faighneachd dhibh a-nis!

O! - gus an dàrna cuid dhem ainm-cleachdaidh a mhìneachadh, ma b’ iongnadh leibh: ged nach e Dòmhnallach an sloinneadh a th’ agam, ‘s e an sloinneadh a bha aig mo shinn-seanmhair gus an do phòs i, agus tha e an sloinneadh gun robh aig aon dhem shinnsearan de a bheil mi nas cinntiche gur e Gàidhealach a th' ann. Mar sin dheth, shloinn mi mi-fhìn - airson an fhòraim seo, co-dhiù.

Sin uile e, an dràsta.

Mar sin leibh!

Ruiseart

Hello, everyone!

My name is Richard - or Ruiseart, as I put it in my username - and I’m from Chicago in the United States. I began learning Gaelic in July the year before last with Beag air Bheag and Colin and Cumberland. I’ve used many resources since then, including Akerbeltz, Blas na Gàidhlig, Can Seo, Speaking Our Language, TAIC, this forum, Roddy’s Letters, BBC Alba, BBC Naidheachdan, Radio nan Gàidheal, etc. I hope I’ll be able to take distance courses at SMO or AGA in the future, but right now, I can’t spend much money. I’d like to go to Gaelic festivals, Mòds, and other such events too.

I do know another Gaelic learner here in Chicago, but we’re usually so busy that we can’t get together to speak and learn Gaelic regularly. I hope that that’ll change soon: we both want to improve our Gaelic!

Aside from the language itself, I’m really interested in Gaelic music. I’m a musician, and I love Gaelic songs. I’ve learned a few, and once my Gaelic gets better, I’d like to write some of my own (I’m not sure whether or not I t-worded that correctly). I like Gaelic singers such as Kathleen MacInnes, Julie Fowlis, Griogair Labhruidh, and James Graham.

As I wrote above, I’ve been reading these forums for a little over a year-and-a-half now, but I haven’t written anything until now. I think, however, that it’s high time that I used my Gaelic more often, and besides, I always have a bunch of questions that I’ll be able to ask of you now!

Oh! - to explain the second part of my username, if you were interested: although my last name is not MacDonald, it was my great-grandmother’s maiden name, and it is the surname that belonged to one of my ancestors which I am most certain is of Gaelic origin. Thusly, I took it for myself - at least for this forum.

That's all, for now.

Good-bye!

Richard

[GunChleoc]

Fàilte chridheil ort! Tha deagh Ghàidhlig agad ma-thà is tha mi 'n dùil gun tèid leat piseach a thoirt oirre

Seo beagan cheartachaidhean dhut:

air na h-òrain Ghàidhealach (iolra caol)

tha mi air a bhith a leughadh a' bhùird-bhrath seo (tuiseal ginideach)

tha móran cheistean agam (tuiseal ginideach)

[Thrissel]

An d' fhuair thu, mar fhèin-ionnsaiche, far a tha thu ann am fichead mìos? Uill chan eil fhios 'am cia mheud giall a thuit air an làr as dèidh dha daoine sin a leughadh, ach thuit an tè agamsa gu dearbh - thug e dhomhsa 's dòcha sia bliadhna chun na h-ìre sin - ma tha mi ann mu thràth idir...
Fàilte chridheil gu dearbh!

[Màiri na Coille]

Hàlo, Ruiseart! Tha mi a' fuireach faisg air Chicago, cuideachd.

Hello, Richard! I live near Chicago, too.

[faoileag]

Fàilte gu dearbh fhèin!
'S ann fìor dhrùidhteach a tha e cho fada 's a thànig thu mar-thà is thu ag ionnsachadh air do cheann fhèin.
Chan fheumadh tu tòiseachadh air toiseach nan cùrsaichean aig AGA no SMO mas urrainn dhut bruidhinn is tuigsinn fiù 's a leth uiread de Ghàidhlig 's as urrainn dhut sgrìobhadh.

Welcome indeed.
It's impressive how far you have come through learning independently.
You wouldn't have to start at the beginning of AGA or SMO courses if you can speak and understand even half as much as you can write.

[GunChleoc]

is tu ag ionnsachadh

[RuiseartDòmhnallach]

Móran taing dhuibh uile airson na fàilte chridheil agus airson nam faclan laghacha agaibh dhomh!

A GhunChleoc: tapadh leat airson nan ceartachaidhean! Deasaichidh mi am brath agam seo chaidh gus na mearachdan a dh’ainmich thu a cheartachadh nuair a bhios ùine a bharrachd agam.

A Thrissel: tapadh leatsa gu h-àraidh airson nam faclan laghacha agad dhomh. Ged a tha mi toilichte leis cho fada ‘s a tha mi air a thighinn air adhart air mo cheann fhìn chun an-seo, tha fios agam gum feumaidh mi a dhol fada nas fhaide fhathast! Bidh agam ri móran uairean a chuir seachad agus na stòrasan agam uile a chleachdadh gus rudeigin mar am brath agam seo chaidh a sgrìobhadh (agus am fear seo cuideachd!). Dheasaich mi iomadh turasan e!

(A?) Fhaoileag: tapadh leat airson na comhairle mu dhéidhinn na cùrsaichean air astar. Tha mo chuid Ghàidhlig sgrìobhte gu cinnteach nas fhearr na mo chodaichean Ghàidhlig labhairte no tuigte. Chan eil mi buileach cinnteach, ach chanainn gur urrainn dhomh tuigsinn eadear 40-50% de chòmhradh air BBC Radio nan Gàidheal (‘s dòcha gum bi e beagan nas motha no nas lugha, a’ crochadh air a’ chuspair), agus tha mi air a bhith ag obair gu cruaidh air an fhuaimneachadh agam le Blas na Gàidhlig. Mar sin dheth, chan eil mi cinnteach dé tha na h-ìrean labhairte ‘s tuigte agam. A bheil deuchainn ann gum faod mi feuchainn gus na h-ìrean agam fhiosrachadh?

A Mhàiri - suas le Chicago! Có am baile ás a tha thu?

Le deagh-dhùrachd,

Ruiseart

Many thanks to you all for the hearty welcome and your kind words for me!

GunChleoc: thank you for the corrections! I’ll edit my last post to correct the mistakes that you mentioned when I have more time.

Thrissel: thank you especially for you kind words. Although I’m pleased with the progress that I’ve made on my own so far, I know that I have so much farther to go! I must spend hours and use all of my resources to write something like my last post (and this one too!). I edited it many times!

Faoileag: thank you for the advice about the distance courses. My written Gaelic is definitely better than my spoken or understood Gaelic. I’m not exactly sure, but I would say that I can understand between 40-50% of a conversation on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal (perhaps a bit more or less, depending on the subject), and I have been working hard on my pronunciation with Blas na Gàidhlig. Consequently, I’m not sure what my levels of speaking and understanding are. Is there a test that I may take to out what my levels are?

Màiri - go Chicago! Which town are you from?

Yours sincerely,

Richard

[GunChleoc]

Chan eil fios agam a bheil deuchainn ann, ach faodaidh tu Skype a chur thugam ma thogras tu. 'S mise bratzbert.

Cuideachd, ma chuireas tu a-steach airson cùrsa le SM no AGA, tha mi cinnteach gum bruidhinn iad riut gus faighinn a-mach dè an ìre a tha aig do chuid Ghàidhlig.

[Màiri na Coille]

A Mhàiri - suas le Chicago! Có am baile ás a tha thu?

Tha mi a' fuireach ann an Dùn Frànc. 'S e iomall baile a deas Chicago a tha ann.

I live in Frankfort. It's a south suburb of Chicago.