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Bidh ainmear fireann ma bhios e a' criochnachadh ann an ath-leaschain sònraichte:

• ainmear meanbhach, -an - bidh an a ann an -an ga fhuaimneachadh mar [a]
  
  
  • am balachan
  
  
  
• ainmear eas-cruthach, -as, -ad
  
  
  • an dànadas, an giorrad
  
  
  
• ainmear ionaid, -ach, -iche, -air, -amh, -adair, -aire, -ear
  
  
  • an clèireach, an stiùiriche, an dorsair, am britheamh, am fuaradair, an teachdaire, an t-àrdaichear
  
  
  
• buadhair mar ainmear
  
  
  • an dall
  
  
  
• ainmearan gnìomhaireach, -adh
  
  
  • bualadh

Bidh ainmear buireann ma bhios e a' criochnachadh ann an ath-leaschain sònraichte:

• ainmear meanbhach, -ag - bidh an a ann an -ag ga fhuaimneachadh mar [a]
  
  
  • an nìghneag
  
  
  
• ainmear eas-cruthach, -achd
  
  
  • a' bheannachd
  
  
  
• fuaimean ann an -ich (tha mura-bhithean ann)
  
  
  • bha e a' bragadaich 's a' snagadaich
    
  • ach: tha 'glaodhaich' fireann
  
  
  
• ainmear eas-cruthach co-ionnan ris a' bhuadhair choimeasach
  
  
  • an doille
  
  
  
• ainmearan gnìomhaireach, -airt
  
  
  • tachairt

Tha mura-bhithean anns na riaghailtean seo. Cleachd na riaghailtean a rèir crutha an toiseach.

• na dùilean
  
  
  • an teine, an t-uisge
  
  
  
• na ràithean
  
  
  • an geamhradh
  
  
  
• lathaichean na seachdain
  
  
  • Dimàirt
  
  
  
• na dathan
  
  
  • an gorm
  
  
  
• gràinean
  
  
  • an t-eòrna
  
  
  
• glasraichean
  
  
  • an curran
  
  
  
• deochannan
  
  
  • an t-uisge-beatha
  
  
  
• fiodh craoibhe
  
  
  • an giuthas

Tha mura-bhithean anns na riaghailtean seo. Cleachd na riaghailtean a rèir crutha an toiseach.

• dùthchannan
  
  
  • an Fhraing
  
  
  
• ionnsramaidean ciùil
  
  
  • a' chlàrsach
  
  
  
• mill an fhànais
  
  
  • a' ghrian
  
  
  
• galaran
  
  
  • a' bhreac
    
  • ach: tha 'an cnatan' fireann

Mar as trice, bidh gnè an ainmeir a' leantainn feis nan daoine no ainmhidhean:

• fireann:
  
  • an t-athair
    
  • am mac
    
  • am fear
    
  • am bodach
    
  • an tarbh
  
  
  
• boireann:
  
  • a' mhàthair
    
  • an nighean
    
  • an tè
    
  • a' chailleach
    
  • a' bhò
    
  
  
• ach: tha 'am boireannach' fireann

Is urrainn dhut sùil a thoirt air a' chonnrag mu dheireadh an fhacail. Tha a' mhòr chuid (mu 80%) de

• na h-ainmearan leathann fireann
  
• na h-ainmearan caola boireann

Uaireannan, chan eil gnè facail soilleir.

• Tha an aon fhacal fireann no boireann a rèir dualchainnt
  
  
  • an dàimh (fireann no boireann), an dealbh (fireann no boireann)
  
  
  
• Tha gnè eadar-dhealaichte aig an fhacal a rèir tuiseil (bho sheann tuiseal neodrach)
  
  
  • am muir (tuiseal bunasach, fireann), na mara (tuiseal ginideach, boireann)

Ciamar a chuireas tu gnè aig facal sònraichte nad chuimhne? Cha dèan 'an doras' (f) no 'an deise' (b) a' chùis idir nam bheachd-sa. Cleachdaidh mi an tuiseal ginideach le alt agus cuiridh mi ainmear gnìomhaireach ris:

• doras, fosgladh an dorais - an = fireann
  
• deise, cruth na deise - na = boireann

Le sin, bidh trì rudan agam:

• gnè an fhacail
  
• cruth ginideach an fhacail
  
• abairt feumail

• Byrne, Michel (2004): Gràmar na Gàidhlig, darna fhoillseachadh, Stòrlann-acair, Cearsiadar.
  
• Calder, George (1923): A Gaelic Grammar, Gairm, Glaschu.
  
• Cox, Richard (2010): Notaichean clas airson Gàidhlig 2 aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
  
• Klevenhaus, Michael (2010): Lehrbuch der Schottisch-Gälischen Sprache, Buske, Hamburg.

Geama "Fireann no Boireann".

A noun is masculine when it ends in a certain suffix:

• diminutive noun, -an - the a in -an is pronounced as [a]
  
  
  • am balachan
  
  
  
• abstract noun, -as, -ad
  
  
  • an dànadas, an giorrad
  
  
  
• noun of function, occupation or role, -ach, -iche, -air, -amh, -adair, -aire, -ear
  
  
  • an clèireach, an stiùiriche, an dorsair, am britheamh, am fuaradair, an teachdaire, an t-àrdaichear
  
  
  
• an adjective used as a noun
  
  
  • an dall
  
  
  
• verbal nouns, -adh
  
  
  • bualadh

A noun is feminine when it ends in a certain suffix:

• diminutive noun, -ag - the a in -ag is pronounced as [a]
  
  
  • an nìghneag
  
  
  
• abstract noun, -achd
  
  
  • a' bheannachd
  
  
  
• noises ending in -ich (there are exceptions)
  
  
  • bha e a' bragadaich 's a' snagadaich
    
  • but: 'glaodhaich' is masculine
  
  
  
• abstract noun identical to the comparative form of an adjective
  
  
  • an doille
  
  
  
• verbal nouns, -airt
  
  
  • tachairt

There are exceptions to these rules. Use the rules according to form first.

• the elements
  
  
  • an teine, an t-uisge
  
  
  
• the seasons
  
  
  • an geamhradh
  
  
  
• days of the week
  
  
  • Dimàirt
  
  
  
• colours
  
  
  • an gorm
  
  
  
• grains
  
  
  • an t-eòrna
  
  
  
• vegetables
  
  
  • an curran
  
  
  
• drinks
  
  
  • an t-uisge-beatha
  
  
  
• wood
  
  
  • an giuthas

There are exceptions to these rules. Use the rules according to form first.

• countries
  
  
  • an Fhraing
  
  
  
• musical instruments
  
  
  • a' chlàrsach
  
  
  
• celestial bodies
  
  
  • a' ghrian
  
  
  
• illnesses
  
  
  • a' bhreac
    
  • but: 'an cnatan' is masculine

More often than not, the gender of a noun will correspond to the male/female sex of a human or an animal:

• masculine:
  
  • an t-athair
    
  • am mac
    
  • am fear
    
  • am bodach
    
  • an tarbh
  
  
  
• feminine:
  
  • a' mhàthair
    
  • an nighean
    
  • an tè
    
  • a' chailleach
    
  • a' bhò
    
  
  
• but: 'am boireannach' is masculine

You can look at the last consonant of the word. This rule of thumb works for about 80% of all nouns:

• broad nouns are masculine
  
• slender nouns are feminine

Sometimes, the gender of a word is not clear.

• The same word can be masculine or feminine according to dialect
  
  
  • an dàimh (masculine or feminine), an dealbh (masculine or feminine)
  
  
  
• The same word can have a different gender according to case (from the old neutral case)
  
  
  • am muir (nominative/common case, masculine), na mara (genitive/possessive case, feminine)

How do you remember the case for a certain noun? I don't find 'an doras' (m) or 'an deise' (f) useful at all. I prefer using the genitive case with the article, and I'll add a verbal noun to it:

• doras, fosgladh an dorais - an = masculine
  
• deise, cruth na deise - na = feminine

This way, I even get 3 for 1:

• the gender of the word
  
• the genitive form of the word
  
• a useful expression

• Byrne, Michel (2004): Gràmar na Gàidhlig, 2nd edition, Stòrlann-acair, Cearsiadar.
  
• Calder, George (1923): A Gaelic Grammar, Gairm, Glasgow.
  
• Cox, Richard (2010): Class notes for Gàidhlig 2 at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
  
• Klevenhaus, Michael (2010): Lehrbuch der Schottisch-Gälischen Sprache, Buske, Hamburg.

Geama "Fireann no Boireann".