No you better don't

Ciamar a chanas mi.... / How do I say...
semaphore
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No you better don't

Unread post by semaphore »

Feasgar math dhuibh,

I've been having difficulty talking about "had better not be/you better not be".

I usually add some Gaelic examples with my questions but this time I'm a little stumped as to what is most natural, so I'll go with English for now.

You better not be telling lies. Better not be lying.
Are you lying? - No! - You better not be!
You better not (do a thing)
Go on, have one! - I better not!

Some of these meanings can be expressed by "don't you dare [... something]" as well. I can express simliar things in Gaelic using "math" or "feum" or idioms with "anam/aghaidh". The primary construction that comes to mind is "s fheàrride / b' fheàrride" but flows naturally for me in the positive "you better/I'd better". I've not had much occasion until now to tell someone they "better not be".

Of course as always depending on context things may go from Gàidhlig gu Beurla a different way. For example

Na faiceam a-rithist sin! - You better not do that again

As usual I can talk around it and that does for the most part, but still feels a bit too indirect. Any help would be great.


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GunChleoc
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by GunChleoc »

Some expressions that should do it:

Cha bu chòir dhut breugan innse.
Na innis breugan!
Ann an da-rìribh?
Na can rium!
Na bi ri...
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by MacFhraing »

Maybe it's something using 'gun a bhith' that you want?

"'S fheàirrde thu gun a bhith a' bruidhinn" / "B' fheàirrde mi gun a bhith ag òl"
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by semaphore »

Abair gur i seachdain thrang a bh' innte cha robh diog agam gu seo sùil a thoirt air seo. Taing dhuibh airson bhur molaidhean.

'S e "na h-innis" a fheumadh a bhith ann a sin, tha mi creids'. Rinn mi cagnadh air na dh'iarr mi oirbh an t-seachdain-sa is thàinig criomag neo dha thugam. A thaobh an fhir-sa

Go on, have one! - I better not! (I best not) 'S e "chan eil math dhomh" a dh'fhaodadh a bhith na b' fheàrr. Ach eadar 's gum meudaich a' chiall sin 's e comasach a cleachdadh ag ràdh gin dhan fheadhainn eile, 's beag m'fhios.

The meaning of 's fheàirrde is so etched in my brain I can't make it work. I'd need to be tied to a chair and have native speakers scream it at me before I'd accept it. 'S fheàirrde thu gun a bhith a' bruidhinn to me just sounds like "seriously, you're making your situation worse, stop talking" but happy to be wrong on that one.

I can see "na bi thusa ri innse bhreugan" working. The more I think about "better not" the less literal meaning it has, it's more of a preamble to let children know we're threatening them lol. It'd actually be more natural in my Scots-English to say "Don't you be [... telling lies]" than the more (Englishy?Americany?) "You better not be lying". Still, if anything else comes to mind I'll add it as a response to this post.
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GunChleoc
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by GunChleoc »

'S e "na h-innis" a fheumadh a bhith ann a sin, tha mi creids'
That would turn the negative particle "na" into an article or possessive pronoun, and the verb "innis" into a noun. So, that wouldn't make sense ;)
'S fheàirrde thu gun a bhith a' bruidhinn to me just sounds like "seriously, you're making your situation worse, stop talking" but happy to be wrong on that one.
That sounds good to me.

And yes, that construction does take some time getting used to when you are used to Germanic or Latin language patterns. It is very Gaelic if you know what I mean :)
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akerbeltz
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by akerbeltz »

There's also chan fhuilear dhut sin a dhèanamh "you had better not do that" but beware, the word fuilear is a Gaelic rabbit hole 8-)
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by GunChleoc »

Negated expressions can be so much fun.

Cha chreid mi nach eil seo feumail!
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semaphore
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by semaphore »

GunChleoc wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 8:25 am That would turn the negative particle "na" into an article or possessive pronoun, and the verb "innis" into a noun. So, that wouldn't make sense ;)
Ah I tend to leave that in as it's what I hear most often. I think it's still there in Irish. Could just be dialectal and probably not sabhal mòr ostaig approved. I believe 'h-abair' for 'abair' is floating about out there somewhere. Ach 's fheàrr leam e.

na h-abair sin
na h-ith mar sin e
na h-òl a-nochd!

Thanks for some direction I can surface the language I need with a bit more confidence. "Fhuilear" doesn't look foreign, it's ringing a bell but is not something I've ever used in anger. Deagh fheasgar dhuibh!
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GunChleoc
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by GunChleoc »

Now you have me checking my grammar books :lol:

Michel Byrne: No vowel example
William Lamb: na ithibh sin
Richard Cox: "tha analachadh ro fhuaimreag ion-teasgaidh: na h-ith sin! na ith sin!"

So, you're right and it's optional. I just hadn't come across it yet. Thank you for questioning my statement!
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semaphore
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by semaphore »

No prob. If there's a lazier way to say it Scottish people will find it
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by semaphore »

After some time and thought - it's emphasis and warning, so here's some English for "better (not)" with an element "don't dare" or "imperativeness" or "surprise".

That (had) better not be what I think it is - is èiginn nach e sin an rud 's a tha mi an dùil
Please don't let that be what I think it is - guidhe nach eil sin na tha dùil agam ris

explanation - It's really important that that's not the pin for this grenade. Not really what I'd call general purpose or light hearted. guidhe hoping / praying (that) that's not what I think it is


This could be rephrased in English without much trouble

There's no way that's what I think it is - chan eil dòigh air thalamh gur e sin na tha e coltach
Tell me that's not what I think it is - mo sgrios! can nach e sin na tha e coltach

explanation - It's less "better not be" and more a "na can rium!". You might have just broken your arm or won the lottery so it's more general purpose.


You (had) better not be lying - na biodh a dh'anam ort breugan innse
You (had) better not! (do a thing) - na biodh a dh'anam ort or in the words of Obi Wan, na feuch e

explanation - Closer to "don't you dare" or "have the gall". Could be said if someone is just thinking about doing something.

Are you lying? - No! - You better not be! A bheil thu ag innse na brèig? 'N eil! An aire nach eil!

explanation - This is more of a Scottishism from my childhood "pay heed you're no" or "see to it you're no" again there might be something a little better.


It's better you don't ever / never - air do bheatha bhuan na dèan e

explanation - Maybe be incorporated in other scenarios with a sense of "you better not"


Now apart from yelling "bidh co-lorgan ann!" I'm out of ideas for now.
Last edited by semaphore on Fri Oct 07, 2022 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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semaphore
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by semaphore »

ochan mi-fhìn

Don't let me see / catch you
na faiceam-sa sin a-rithist
na glacam-sa thu ris a-rithist
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GunChleoc
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Re: No you better don't

Unread post by GunChleoc »

Tha "Na dùraig" ann cuideachd san t-seagh "Don't you dare"

Abairtean eile:

B' fheàirrde thu... / (Cha) bu mhiste thu...
Cha bu chòir thu...
Mholainn nach...
Oileanach chànan chuthachail
Na dealbhan agam
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