Òraid 2.2: Gràmar (Lecture 2.2: Grammar)
No Indefinite Article
Gàidhlig has no indefinite article. ‘A man’ is simply expressed by fear.
The Verb ‘to be’ – Present Tense
Positive Statement
| Tha Càit an seo. | Càit is here. |
| Tha fear agus leanabh an seo. | There is a man and a child here. |
| Tha mi an seo. | I am here. |
Negative Statement
| Chan eil Càit an seo. | Càit is not here. |
Interrogative
| A bheil Càit an seo? | Is Càit here? |
| Nach eil Càit an seo? | Is Càit not here? |
Indirect Speech
| Tha e ag ràdh gu bheil Càit an seo. | He says that Càit is here. |
| Tha e ag ràdh nach eil Càit an seo. | He says that Càit is not here. |
Summary Table
| Tha | Càit | an seo. | |
| Chan eil | Càit | an seo. | |
| A bheil | Càit | an seo? | |
| Nach eil | Càit | an seo? | |
| Tha e ag ràdh | gu bheil | Càit | an seo. |
| Tha e ag ràdh | nach bheil | Càit | an seo. |
The Verb ‘to be’ – Present Impersonal Form
Positive Statement
| Thathar a’ moadh sin. | That is being recommended. |
Negative Statement
| Chan eilear a’ moadh sin. | That is not being recommended. |
Interrogative
| A bheilear a’ moadh sin. | Is that being recommended? |
| Nach eilear a’ moadh sin. | Is that not being recommended? |
Indirect Speech
| Tha e ag ràdh gu bheilear a’ moadh sin. | He says that is being recommended? |
| Tha e ag ràdh nach eilear a’ moadh sin. | He says that is not being recommended? |
Summary Table
| Thathar | a’ moladh | sin. | |
| Chan eilear | a’ moladh | sin. | |
| A bheilear | a’ moladh | sin. | |
| Nach eilear | a’ moladh | sin. | |
| Tha e ag ràdh | gu bheilear | a’ moladh | sin. |
| Tha e ag ràdh | nach eilear | a’ moladh | sin. |
Contrast
In Gàidhlig, contrast is express by a special set of pronouns, rather than by stress.
| NORMAL FORM | CONTRAST FORM |
| mi | mise |
| thu/tu | thusa/tusa |
| e | esan |
| i | ise |
| sinn | sinne |
| sibh | sibhse |
| iad | iadsan |
Mar eisimpler (for example):
| Tha mi an seo agus tha thu an sin. | I am here and you are there. |
| Tha mise an seo ach tha thusa an sin. | I am here but you are there. |
Differences between an sin and an siud
An siud means ‘there’ and emphasises distance, as opposed to an sin ‘there’ which simply points out there something is.
Mar eisimpler (for example):
| Tha mi an seo agus tha thu an sin. | I am here and you are there. |
| Tha mi an seo agus tha thu an siud. | I am here and you are over there. |
