Fòram na Gàidhlig

Really simple question here:

When should you use agus and is? Am I correct that is is used more for compound subjects and objects? I.e. Tha Calum is Màiri an-seo.

Agus - Separate items: Crat-ùrlair agus cait (Carpet and cats)
Is/'s - Group of things that are connected: Mairi is Seoras is Alasdair

That said, there is no real way of using them. They both work but one can sound more flowing than the other.

Sasainn agus Alba or Sasainn 's Alba - I would use "is" as it is more flowing.

Tapadh leat, Alasdair. Tha mi tuigsinn an-dràsta.

TY just says is is used with things that are "familiar"- not very helpful.

Yeah i noticed that. By "familiar" i think it means "Things that go together".

PS: I would say: Tha mi a tuigsinn a-nis

Both work though.

LOL. OK, well, I had originally though a-nis meant "now" in a broader sense, and an-dràsda meant "right/just now." But according to Akerbeltz.org it's the other way around (scroll to the Other Adverb of Time list near the bottom).

Yeah, I could "keep it simple" and stick to what little I already know with confidence. But then I wouldn't learn anything new, would I?

Cèid wrote:LOL. OK, well, I had originally though a-nis meant "now" in a broader sense, and an-dràsda meant "right/just now." But according to Akerbeltz.org it's the other way around (scroll to the Other Adverb of Time list near the bottom).

Yeah, I could "keep it simple" and stick to what little I already know with confidence. But then I wouldn't learn anything new, would I?

Orite. I learned "a-nis" as in the broader sense of the word, and "an-drasta"* as in just now.

I wasn't getting on at you by the way, just suggesting to keep it simple as that is what most folk will do. I know when i went to SMO i just stuck to "Tha mi a tuigsinn" and it worked

*An-drasta - They have changed the spelling of some words (omitting the "d" and changing it to a "t").

Cèid wrote:LOL. OK, well, I had originally though a-nis meant "now" in a broader sense, and an-dràsda meant "right/just now." But according to Akerbeltz.org it's the other way around (scroll to the Other Adverb of Time list near the bottom).

Yeah, I could "keep it simple" and stick to what little I already know with confidence. But then I wouldn't learn anything new, would I?

i think it is dialectical, i have heard both ways - but people are going to pick up what you mean by your tone really, so use whichever you like

Mòran taing, a neoni 's Alasdair.

@Alasdair - Sorry if I came across as defensive. I've learned other languages both in class and on my own. Right now, I'm very much on my own. I don't have the stimulus or structure of a class environment, so I have to overreach a bit here and there, to keep myself motivated and progressing.

Besides, if you've seen how verbose I can be in English (or German), you'd know that "Tha mi a tuigsinn an-dràsda/a-nis" is keeping it simple for me!

jawohl mehr deutsche

Ist Gälisch bei Dir?

I'm a learner too, but here's the difference between an-drasta and a-nise as I understand it.

I never used to like tomatoes but:
a)I eat them now. -- a-nise.
b)I'm eating one now. -- an-drasta.

a-nise means essentially "now, but it wasn't the case in the past" (or at some point in the past).

an-drasta means right at this very moment, but possibly not a minute ago and possibly not in a minute's time. (Well, I will finish that tomato, won't I?)

Will you cease to understand Alasdair's post? No -- this is why in English we say "I understand", not "I am understanding"; so in Gaelic "a-nise" is more appropriate.

But a quick check of Dwelly's turns up Dean a nis e -- do it now.
But also an dràsd 's a rithist -- now and again.

I'm confused as well now. Drat.

I recall being told that in general agus is generally used for connecting clauses
Tha mi a' dol dhan a phub agus tha ise a' dol comhla riumsa.
while 's is generally used for connecting adjectives or nouns in a list.
Tha mi ag iarraidh leann 's fionn dearg 's uisge beatha.

But I was told that there is no hard and fast rule, so either form can (and does) appear in either case.

Just a matter of personal style and the level of the conversation.

GunChleoc wrote:Ist Gälisch bei Dir?

Geil! Irgendwo, ein Deutschlerner ist spöttische lächelnd.

@Níall - Sorry. I seem to spread chaos and confusion wherever I go.

I figure I'll just be attentive when I see to how native speakers use them and in time I hope I'll pick up the nuances. With agus/is, I had the impression of the general usages like you outlined, but as you said, I hadn't come across a definite rule. I figured I'd ask, in case there was a certain rule I hadn't learned yet.

Níall Beag wrote:1. But a quick check of Dwelly's turns up Dean a nis e -- do it now.
2. But also an dràsd 's a rithist -- now and again.

I'm confused as well now. Drat.

1. You haven't done it before, now have you? Which is why you're supposed to get to it now.

2. Not using a-nis here fits, because it is repeated and you can't presuppose you haven't done it before.

So, I think it fits your definition of a-nis.

neoni wrote: i think it is dialectical, i have heard both ways - but people are going to pick up what you mean by your tone really, so use whichever you like

Runrig (from Skye) often use it with a 'd', sometimes omitting the A, but I'm not sure whther that's got something to do with gramar or not.