/r/gaidhlig

Photograph via snooOG

A h-uile càil ann an no mu dheidhinn Gàidhlig na h-Alba, do dh'fhileantaich is luchd-ionnsachaidh

All things in or about Scottish Gaelic, for fluent speakers and learners.

A place for native speakers and learners of Scottish Gaelic to discuss items of interest to the community.


  1. Do not troll users with less Gàidhlig than you.
  2. Do remain civil.
  3. No shitposting.

Useful links

Free resources for getting started

Courses

Grammar and pronunciation help

Radio and other audio resources

Games and entertainment

Related Subreddits and Other Forums

/r/gaidhlig

9,834 Subscribers

5

Can someone tell me the difference between fallain and slainteil?

2 Comments
2024/11/10
00:55 UTC

19

Ma tha? (Mah hah)

Hàlo a chairdean

De tha dol

I live on the isle of lewis, i moved here around a year ago and have been trying to learn how to speak gàidhlig for a while.

I have heard people saying what sounds like “ma tha” after i do something. Like “thanks ma tha”

Im probably not writing it down properly but does anyone know what they could be saying? It seems likely it would be something similar to “thanks mate” Im not even sure if this is a gàidhlig question tbh or just a scottish saying. I grew up around glasgow and havent heard it before.

Mòran taing

9 Comments
2024/11/08
16:40 UTC

9

Train driver

I’m an off-on learner and I’m trying to work out what my job title is in gàidhlig in the hope of possibly requesting name badges with this on it.

Would I be right in saying that trainee train driver would be, draibheir-trèan ionnsaichear? Or ionnsaichear-draibheir trèan?

2 Comments
2024/11/08
12:44 UTC

10

What pronouns to use?

I can't figure out when to use e/i and when to use esan/cabhag, as far as I can tell they both translate to he/she. Is there a system or is it just based on ✨️vibes✨️

13 Comments
2024/11/07
21:36 UTC

2

[Weekly Gaelic Learners' Q&A – Thu 07 Nov 2024] Learning Gaelic on Duolingo, SpeakGaelic or elsewhere? Or maybe thinking about it? Post any quick questions about learning Gaelic here.

Learning Gaelic on Duolingo or SpeakGaelic, or elsewhere? Or maybe you're thinking about it?

If you've got any quick language learning questions, stick them below and the community can try to help you.

NB: You can always start a separate post if you want – that might be better for more involved questions.

2 Comments
2024/11/07
07:30 UTC

23

Gaelic in Common Voice

I have recently discovered that Scottish Gaelic appears to be not represented in Mozilla Common Voice project at all. This is basically one of the datasets that can be used for training AI for speech recognition and translation. This state of affairs is deplorable and it would be good to change it somehow.

I an not affiliated with the project in any way and have only very little Gaelic myself, and therefore cannot make any meaningful contribution, but encourage actual Gaelic speakers to do so, request a language and start filling it with data, there are guidelines for that in the About section.

5 Comments
2024/11/07
07:04 UTC

8

Looking for info on the impersonal verb forms

Halò, I keep running into scraps of information about the impersonal/autonomous forms of verbs but never enough to get a full understanding. As far as I understand it they're used for sentences with a non-specific subject? Like I think "Dh'itheas biadh" means "food was eaten/one ate food" but I'm not clear on what the different forms/endings are and when you use them.

4 Comments
2024/11/07
02:09 UTC

7

Two terms for "scarf"

Hi guys,

Does anybody know if there is any difference between "sgarfa" and "stoc" as translation for "scarf". Or are they synonyms/regional variations?

Thank you!

2 Comments
2024/11/05
08:56 UTC

7

Jingle Bells version

Does anyone remember this version of Jingle Bells? I'm trying to remember the other verse. It might have been a Flòraidh original.

Gliong, gliong, gliong, gliong, gliong, gliong Gliong tighinn às an speur Santa Claus a' tighinn Gheibh sinn preusantan gu lèir.

1 Comment
2024/11/04
20:16 UTC

3

[Snàth Cabadaich na Seachdaine | Weekly Gaelic Chat Thread – Mon 04 Nov 2024] Dèan cabadaich mu chàil sam bith ann an Gàidhlig, na biodh iomagain ort mu mhearachdan | Chat about about anything as long as it's in Gaelic, and don't worry about mistakes. Siuthad!

[English below]

Fàilte gu snàth cabadaich na seachdaine

Tha an snàth seo do dhuine sam bith a tha airson cabadaich mu chàil sam bith sa Gàidhlig gun snàth ùr a thòiseachadh (ach faodaidh tu ma thogras tu).

  • Feumaidh tu post ann an Gàidhlig (gu susbainteach co-dhiù, tha beagan suidseadh còd nàdarra obviously taghta)
  • Faodaidh tu cabadaich mu chàil sam bith a thogras tu.
  • Na biodh iomagain ort mu dhèidhinn mhearachdan (co-dhiù do chuid fhèin, no a nì càch).
  • Chan fhaodar Google Translate (no a leithid) a chleachdadh airson postadh a chruthachadh.

Welcome to the weekly learners' chat thread

This thread is for anyone who wants to chat about anything in Gaelic without starting a new thread (though you can if you want).

  • You must post in Gaelic (substantially at least, a bit of natural code switching is fine)
  • Chat about anything you like.
  • Don't worry about mistakes (either yours or anyone else's)
  • No using Google Translate (or any other machine translator) to create posts.

Siuthad!

0 Comments
2024/11/04
07:30 UTC

9

What's my level?

Halò a h-uile duine,

I've seen posts mentioning levels of Gàidhlig knowledge graded as A1, A2, B1, etc.

I've been learning Gàidhlig for a while but I've no idea what level I am (in the above system). How can I tell? Is there some sort of quiz that can tell me my level?

Tapadh leibh

2 Comments
2024/11/03
20:34 UTC

8

Spelling Differences across Resources

Hàlo!

I am currently learning using the Speak Gaelic resources and Morag MacNeill’s Everyday Gaelic.

However, I’ve just come across two instances where the book and the worksheets differ…

Ireland - Èirinn (SG) vs Èireann (EG)

England - Sasainn (SG) vs Sasann (EG)

Could anyone explain this? And is the book still a worthwhile resource if it’s teaching possibly outdated spellings?

Any guidance appreciated :)

6 Comments
2024/11/01
21:30 UTC

7

Ainmean dhan tuiseal ghinideach

Haidh!

Tha mi air a bhith a' lorg ainmean àite sa Ghàidhlig airson mapa Ghlaschu a dhèanamh ach lorg mi feadhainn ainmean a tha a' coltachd caran neonach dhomh

Mar eisimpleir, tha ainmean Bridge Street agus Bridgeton eadar-theangaichte sa Ghàidhlig mar Sràid na Drochaid is Baile na Drochaid air làraichean lìn mar LearnGaelic, Ainmean-àite na h-Alba no Openstreetmap

Seo a' cheist agam: nach eil am facal Drochaid a' fàs Drochaide cuin a tha e anns an tuiseil ginideach? Carson a tha na nàraichean-lìn seo a' chleachadh drochaid gun an e deireannach? A bheil seo cleachdadh-cànain riaghailteach no rudeigin ùr ?

2 Comments
2024/11/01
19:39 UTC

13

Gàidhlig to English translation request

Hello everyone, I’ve recently been reading up on Highland Scottish immigration to Atlantic Canada and came across a research paper with a toast written in Gàidhlig, "Deoch slainte chuairtear a ghluais bho Albainn!" With the translation written as “Here's health to the traveller who left Scotland!" I was wondering if this was an accurate translation. Furthermore, in my research, I came across a cairn with an inscription in Gàidhlig. The inscription reads, "B'i a'ghaidhlig an cainnt." I am unsure what this would translate to in English. I would really appreciate any help I could get, thanks.

Edit: I just read in the rules that only certain translation requests are allowed, please let me know if this post breaks that rule.

3 Comments
2024/11/01
05:18 UTC

5

Can anyone help me figure out the lyrics to the second tune in this track?

This is a set of two puirt-à-beul, I know the first one and have been desperately trying to find lyrics for the second but no luck. Thanks y’all!

1 Comment
2024/11/01
02:20 UTC

3

[Weekly Gaelic Learners' Q&A – Thu 31 Oct 2024] Learning Gaelic on Duolingo, SpeakGaelic or elsewhere? Or maybe thinking about it? Post any quick questions about learning Gaelic here.

Learning Gaelic on Duolingo or SpeakGaelic, or elsewhere? Or maybe you're thinking about it?

If you've got any quick language learning questions, stick them below and the community can try to help you.

NB: You can always start a separate post if you want – that might be better for more involved questions.

0 Comments
2024/10/31
07:30 UTC

7

"Ciamar a tha thu?" vs. "Ciamar a bheil thu?"

So as I understand it, after the particle "a" the verb "bi" should take the dependent form - so it's "A bheil thu trang?" rather than "A tha thu trang?".

But when you're asking how someone is, "Ciamar a bheil thu?" sounds bizarre - so why doesn't "bi" take the dependent form after the "a" here? Am I missing something?

4 Comments
2024/10/29
10:18 UTC

11

Forming plural genitive on duolingo

I have several examples which change the translation and I'm not sure which to choose:

Taigh nam bodach.

The old men's house.

Then we have prìs nam postairean

The price of the posters.

In the first example, the first word goes last in the translation (taigh) but in the second, the first word (prìs) comes first in the gGaelic translation.

In, nead nam faoileagan

I'm not sure if it's the seaguls' nest or the nest of the seagul.

3 Comments
2024/10/29
09:57 UTC

5

[Snàth Cabadaich na Seachdaine | Weekly Gaelic Chat Thread – Mon 28 Oct 2024] Dèan cabadaich mu chàil sam bith ann an Gàidhlig, na biodh iomagain ort mu mhearachdan | Chat about about anything as long as it's in Gaelic, and don't worry about mistakes. Siuthad!

[English below]

Fàilte gu snàth cabadaich na seachdaine

Tha an snàth seo do dhuine sam bith a tha airson cabadaich mu chàil sam bith sa Gàidhlig gun snàth ùr a thòiseachadh (ach faodaidh tu ma thogras tu).

  • Feumaidh tu post ann an Gàidhlig (gu susbainteach co-dhiù, tha beagan suidseadh còd nàdarra obviously taghta)
  • Faodaidh tu cabadaich mu chàil sam bith a thogras tu.
  • Na biodh iomagain ort mu dhèidhinn mhearachdan (co-dhiù do chuid fhèin, no a nì càch).
  • Chan fhaodar Google Translate (no a leithid) a chleachdadh airson postadh a chruthachadh.

Welcome to the weekly learners' chat thread

This thread is for anyone who wants to chat about anything in Gaelic without starting a new thread (though you can if you want).

  • You must post in Gaelic (substantially at least, a bit of natural code switching is fine)
  • Chat about anything you like.
  • Don't worry about mistakes (either yours or anyone else's)
  • No using Google Translate (or any other machine translator) to create posts.

Siuthad!

0 Comments
2024/10/28
07:30 UTC

19

Ceist ghràmair bheag air ur son

Halò !

Tha mi a’ dèanamh mapa de còmhdhailean ann an Glaschu, anns a’ Bheurla is a’ Ghàidhlig agus tha ceist ghràmair bheag agam

Bu toil leam ag ràdh rudeigin mar «Rail transportation in Glasgow ach chan eil mi cinnteach dè a bhiodh an eadar-theangalach as fhèarr

A bheil «Còmhdhail rèile ann am meadhan a’ bhaile Glaschu» ceart gu leòr no faodaidh mi «Ghlaschu» a chleachdadh?

Dè ur beachd? A bheil moladh nas fhèarr sam bith agaibh ? Moran taing air ur cuideachadh!

Just to make things clearer because my Gaelic is not so good: I am not sure if I should use the lenited form Ghlaschu or not after «meadhan a bhaile»

One last thing, speaking about the Glasgow Subway, would you rather say «Fo-rèile Ghlaschu» or «Fo-thalamh Ghlaschu»?

Thanks a lot for your help!

3 Comments
2024/10/27
10:55 UTC

14

Doing Gàidhlig for Duke of Edinburgh Skills

I haven’t posted on here before (sorry the post is in English). I have been learning Gàidhlig through Duolingo and Learn Gaelic for about a year now for fun. I’m interested in doing Gàidhlig for a skills section for Duke of Edinburgh, however I have had problems with finding an assessor. If anyone on here is willing to or knows someone who would be willing to do it, can you please reply or DM me.

8 Comments
2024/10/25
12:04 UTC

13

Non-Scottish name in Gàidhlig?

Halò a-huile duine! Tha mi ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig, ach tha mi beagan Gàidhlig agam. (Sorry for any mistakes, I'm super paranoid about it lol).

I'm looking for someone to give me some kind of insight on what my name would be in Gaelic and how it would be pronounced? My name is Élise (french name), can't seem to find anything online about it!

Thanks in advance!

16 Comments
2024/10/24
10:15 UTC

0

Accurate translation

Hey there, I’m a descendant of the Clan Fraser and would like to get a tatoo of the clan motto “ I am ready” in Gaidhlig. The most common translation I see is Tha mi Deiseil, but I've also seen Tha mi Rèidh. Which one is more contextually and grammatically accurate?

My thanks :))

2 Comments
2024/10/24
08:49 UTC

3

[Weekly Gaelic Learners' Q&A – Thu 24 Oct 2024] Learning Gaelic on Duolingo, SpeakGaelic or elsewhere? Or maybe thinking about it? Post any quick questions about learning Gaelic here.

Learning Gaelic on Duolingo or SpeakGaelic, or elsewhere? Or maybe you're thinking about it?

If you've got any quick language learning questions, stick them below and the community can try to help you.

NB: You can always start a separate post if you want – that might be better for more involved questions.

9 Comments
2024/10/24
06:30 UTC

21

Grammar evolution

Madainn mhath! I'm currently learning Gaelic through Duolingo but supplementing with grammar books and the BBC Speak Gaelic podcast so I can understand the reason why something is the way it is. Verb conjugation aside, it seems a very grammar-heavy language, which I'm fascinated by but i'm interested to know if that's changing in non-standard or spoken varieties of the language? Are younger generations contributing to a simplification of the grammar? Tapadh leibh!

12 Comments
2024/10/23
09:02 UTC

12

Online grammar reference

A chàirdean còire,

I've been looking for an online reference of grammar, especially declensions and conjurations, for Gaelic. Teannglann's grammar database for Gaelige is one example, though on the more technologically advanced side.

Is there any good online reference for Gàidhlig? Or is it better to rely on books, and if so, are there any that are well recommended? I've already got Gràmar na Gàidhlig by Byrne, but something more detailed would be appreciated.

Tapadh leibh!

4 Comments
2024/10/22
00:40 UTC

2

[Snàth Cabadaich na Seachdaine | Weekly Gaelic Chat Thread – Mon 21 Oct 2024] Dèan cabadaich mu chàil sam bith ann an Gàidhlig, na biodh iomagain ort mu mhearachdan | Chat about about anything as long as it's in Gaelic, and don't worry about mistakes. Siuthad!

[English below]

Fàilte gu snàth cabadaich na seachdaine

Tha an snàth seo do dhuine sam bith a tha airson cabadaich mu chàil sam bith sa Gàidhlig gun snàth ùr a thòiseachadh (ach faodaidh tu ma thogras tu).

  • Feumaidh tu post ann an Gàidhlig (gu susbainteach co-dhiù, tha beagan suidseadh còd nàdarra obviously taghta)
  • Faodaidh tu cabadaich mu chàil sam bith a thogras tu.
  • Na biodh iomagain ort mu dhèidhinn mhearachdan (co-dhiù do chuid fhèin, no a nì càch).
  • Chan fhaodar Google Translate (no a leithid) a chleachdadh airson postadh a chruthachadh.

Welcome to the weekly learners' chat thread

This thread is for anyone who wants to chat about anything in Gaelic without starting a new thread (though you can if you want).

  • You must post in Gaelic (substantially at least, a bit of natural code switching is fine)
  • Chat about anything you like.
  • Don't worry about mistakes (either yours or anyone else's)
  • No using Google Translate (or any other machine translator) to create posts.

Siuthad!

2 Comments
2024/10/21
06:30 UTC

10

Sea glass, words for the ocean and sea

Hi all! I've been learning gaidhlig for a little bit, but haven't had a chance to do a deep dive yet. I'm an artist looking to name one of my works which has a lot of sea glass in it and want suggestions of gaelic names for it. Am I right in thinking the direct translation is glainne-mara? Are there different versions and options I could be using to describe it?

Thanks heaps

2 Comments
2024/10/21
02:18 UTC

4

Blas na Gàidhlig sound files?

Can anyone point me to where I can find the sound files for this book? I have tried!

10 Comments
2024/10/20
10:43 UTC

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