Words with and without adding the -h-

[Chaja]

So I have this bookk called Teach yourself Gaelic. It says you have to add the -h when the noun is feminine. However, I got confused by this: tr*nsl*t*: Yes, James is very big.
My try: Tha, tha Seamus glé mór.
However the book says it is supposed to be: Tha, tha Seamus glé mhór.

Why? James is masculin, and "very big" says something about James, so why the h? Who can help me out here

[faoileag]

There are many reasons in Gaelic for adding the 'h' after the first letter of a word (= lenition). You will get to know them gradually , both via your coursebook and via meeting them in all your contacts with Gaelic - on here, in songs etc.

One of the contexts for lenition is in adjectives attached to singular femininine nouns in the Nominative and Dative (prepositional) cases. An eaglais mhòr, anns an eaglais mhòr.

Another is, sadly, just something you have to learn: 'after certain words'

One of these words is 'glè' = very. An taigh mòr, an taigh glè mhòr, tha an taigh glè mhòr.
Take it slowly and just live with the small steps at the beginning.

And come on here and ask when you meet things you don't grasp - we are happy to help!

[Chaja]

Tapadh leibh, I figured it had something to do with the glé but your explanation made it much clearer. Thank you!