Dè tha thu a' dèanamh? / What are you doing?

[faoileag]

Measgachadh math!

Good combination!

[LilithNoor]

Tha an cù tinn an-diugh. Thèid sinn dhan dotair-bheatha feasgar. Cha toigh le Tòmas an tomhas-teasa!

The dog is sick today. We will go to the vet in the afternoon. Thomas doesn't like the thermometer!

[Agnieszka]

A bheil an cù gu math a-nis?

Is the dog well now?

[LilithNoor]

Tha Tòmas nas fheàrr ach chan eil e glè mhath. Tha sinn a' smaoineachadh gu bheil tinneas Crohns air. Bha in-stealladh aige, agus 's fheairrde e sin.

Thomas is better but he is not very well. We think he has Crohns disease . He had an injection and is better for that.

Tha mi aig an tigh an-diugh agus tha mi a peantadh a’ chidsin. Bi mi a dannsa a-nochd. 'S e belly dancer a th’ annam.

I'm at home today and I'm painting the kitchen. I will be dancing tonight. I am a belly dancer.

Dè tha thu fhein a dèanamh, Agnieszka?

What are you doing yourself, Agnieska?

[Agnieszka]

Tha mi ag teagaisg Seacais. Tha mi an dòchas gum fàs Tòmas nas fheàrr a dh'aithgheàrr.

I wanted to write: I teach Czech language (I mean - as a job). I hope Thomas get better soon.

... but I know, there are probably many mistakes in these two sentences.

[Mairead]

'S bochd sin, a Lilith. Tha mi duilich.

Bha mi anns a' Ghearmailt car mìosa far an robh mi ag obair anns a' chathair-eaglais ann am Münster. 'S e nach-iùil a bh' annam sa Bheurla agus san Spàinntis. Tha mi ann an Alba a-rithist a-nis. Tha Gearmailtis aig mo cheann, ach tha mi a' tilleadh ris a' Ghàidhlig. Nuair a bha mi anns a' Ghearmailt, bha 'agus' agus 'ach' aig mo cheann, ach tha 'und' agus 'aber' aig mo cheann a-nis.

Fàilte, a Lilith agus a Agnieszka!

That's a shame, Lilith. I'm sorry. ... I was in Germany for a month where I worked in the cathedral in Münster. I was a tour guide in English and in Spanish. I am now in Scotland again. I have German in my head, but I am returning to Gaelic. When I was in Germany I had 'agus' and 'ach' in my head, but now I have 'und' and 'aber' in my head. ... Welcome, Lilith and Agnieszka!

[LilithNoor]

Tapadh leat, a Mhairead.

Tha Fraingis agus beagan Gearmailtis agam. A-nis tha mi ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig agus tha e glè bhreisleachadh. Fada cus gràmar!

S 'e nach-iùil a bh'annad! Bha sin inntinneach? An b' fheudar dhut mòran eachdraidh a ionnsachadh?

Thanks Mairead. I speak French and a little German. Now I am learning Gaelic it's very confusing. Way too much grammar!
You were a tour guide! Was it interesting? Did you have to learn a lot of history?

A Agnieszka, a bheil Seacais do 'cainnt do mhàthar'?

Agnieszka, is Czech your 'mother tongue'?

[MarcMacUilleim]

a bheil Seacais do 'cainnt do mhàthar'?

Firstly, you're asking here if one noun (Czech) is another noun (mother tongue), so you can't use bhith. Instead, you need the assertive verb is.

Secondly, cainnt is the way that someone speaks a language rather than the language itself. For French speakers, it's the equivalent of the difference between langue and langage. Hence droch-chainnt (bad language), dual-chainnt (dialect), etc.

And, thirdly, someone's mother tongue is not (necessarily) the same as that person's mother's mother tongue! This is particularly true of Gaelic, where it was not uncommon until relatively recently for native Gaelic speakers to deliberately not bring up their children as Gaelic speakers themselves.

So, I'd probably say something like: An e Seacais a' chiad chànan agad?

[Mairead]

A Lilith, chan eil Fraingis agam, agus chan eil mòran Gearmailtis agam nas motha. 'S toil leam "Teach Yourself Gaelic" airson gràmair. Tha mo thìdsear a' cleachdadh an leabhar sin.

Bha, bha mi ag ionnsachadh mòran eachdraidh. 'S e oileneach a th' annam agus tha mi a' leughadh eachdraidh meadhan-aoiseil, mar sin dheth chòrd e rium gu mòr. Tha eachdraidh agus creideamh glè inntinneach dhomh. Chòrd na daoine rium cuideachd. Bha na luchd-iùil eile uabhasach snog, agus bha na daoine na cathair-eaglaise glé furanach. Bha na daoine anns na tùraidhean math cuideachd. Tha ceanglaichean

Lilith, I don't speak French, and I don't have much German either. I like "Teach Yourself Gaelic" for grammar. My teacher uses that book. ... Yeah, I learned lots of history. I am a student and I study medieval history, so I liked it a lot. History and religion are very interesting to me. I liked the people too. The other guides were very nice, and the people of the cathedral were very welcoming. The people on the tours were good too.

[Agnieszka]

Agnieszka, is Czech your 'mother tongue'?

Chan eil.

No, my mother tongue is Polish. I've studied slavic languages and now I'm doing my PHD of Czech literature, so during my studies I also have to teach students. I have no idea, how to write it in Gaelic.

Tha mi ag ionnaridh telebhisean a-nis.

I'm watching television now.

[Mairead]

Tha mi ag ionnaridh telebhisean --> Tha mi a' coimhead air an telebhisean [I think so, anyway]

[MarcMacUilleim]

Tha mi a' coimhead air an telebhisean [I think so, anyway]

That's certainly how I'd say it. Ionnairidh is indeed listed in Am Faclair Beag as meaning 'watching', but I've never heard it used in the context of television, not that that means that it can't be!

[poor_mouse]

Tha mi ag teagaisg Seacais.

>> Tha mi a' teagasg Seacais. ("ag" before vowel & "r"; vergal noun from teagaisg > teagasg)

Bi mi a dannsa a-nochd.
Dè tha thu fhein a dèanamh, Agnieszka?

>>Bi mi a' dannsa(dh)
...thu fhèin

A Agnieszka, a bheil Seacais do 'cainnt do mhàthar'?

So, I'd probably say something like: An e Seacais a' chiad chànan agad?

cànan màthaireil - mother tongue
cainnt do mhàthar - your mother tongue, your native speech
cainnt mhàthaireil - native language, mother tongue

Chan eil mi cinnteach gu bhuileach...

[MarcMacUilleim]

"ag" before vowel & "r"

Not all verbal nouns beginning with 'r', cf: a' ruigsinn

Bi mi a' dannsa(dh)

Bidh mi a' dannsa(dh)

[poor_mouse]

Seadh! Ach chan eil fios 'am carson a tha e "ag ràdh", ach "a' ruigsinn"

Agus "bidh", gu dearbh!
- Bidh mi a' dannsadh. Am bi thu a' dannsadh?
- Cha bhi mi a' dannsadh
- Nach bi thu a' dannsadh idir?! Nuair a bhios tu a' dannsadh, bidh mi toilichte!