Còmhradh
Keeping talk going
Knowing the words for things gets you sentences; these small words get you a conversation. They start an answer, agree, react, move the talk on, check that the other person is with you, and soften what you say. None of them is hard, and using them is what makes Gaelic sound like talk rather than a list of sentences.
Starting an answer
Gaelic speakers rarely launch straight into an answer. A small word first gives you a moment to think, and tells the other person you heard them and are on your way.
| means | use it | |
|---|---|---|
| Uill | well | to start an answer, or to give yourself a moment to think |
| Seadh | right, I see, yes | to show you’re following what someone says |
| An dà | well now | when you’re weighing something up before you answer |
| Ò | oh | when something has just dawned on you |
- Uill, chan eil mi buileach cinnteach.OOL, khan yel mee BOOL-ukh KEEN-tchukhWell, I’m not quite sure.
- Uill
- well
- chan eil
- am-not
- mi
- I
- buileach
- quite
- cinnteach
- sure
- Seadh, tha mi gad thuigsinn.SHUGH, ha mee gut HOO-ik-shinRight, I understand you.
- Seadh
- right
- tha
- am
- mi
- I
- gad thuigsinn
- understanding-you
- An dà, 's dòcha gu bheil thu ceart.un DAA, SDAWKH-uh guh VEL oo KYARSHTWell now, maybe you’re right.
- An dà
- well-now
- 's dòcha
- maybe
- gu bheil
- that-are
- thu
- you
- ceart
- right
- Ò, tha mi a' faicinn a-nis.AW, ha mee uh FECH-kin uh-NISHOh, I see now.
- Ò
- oh
- tha
- am
- mi
- I
- a' faicinn
- seeing
- a-nis
- now
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Agreeing
Gaelic has no single word for yes, so agreeing usually means repeating the verb. These words go alongside it, or stand on their own when you simply agree with what was said.
| means | use it | |
|---|---|---|
| Gu dearbh | indeed, certainly | to agree warmly, or to make a yes stronger |
| Ceart gu leòr | all right, fair enough | to accept a plan or a point |
| Dìreach | exactly, just so | when someone has it just right |
| 'S fhìor sin | that’s true | to agree with what’s just been said |
- Thig, gu dearbh! Bidh mi ann aig seachd.HIK, guh JER-uv! bee mee a-oon ek SHAKHKI’ll come, certainly! I’ll be there at seven.
- Thig
- will-come
- gu dearbh
- certainly
- Bidh
- will-be
- mi
- I
- ann
- there
- aig
- at
- seachd
- seven
- Ceart gu leòr, coinnichidh sinn aig a' chidhe.KYARSHT guh LYAWR, KON-yeekh-ee shin ek uh KHEE-uhAll right, we’ll meet at the pier.
- Ceart gu leòr
- all-right
- coinnichidh
- will-meet
- sinn
- we
- aig
- at
- a'
- the
- chidhe
- pier
- Dìreach, sin an rud a bha mi ag ràdh.JEE-rukh, SHIN un ROOT uh va mee ug RAAExactly, that’s what I was saying.
- Dìreach
- exactly
- sin
- that
- an
- the
- rud
- thing
- a
- that
- bha
- was
- mi
- I
- ag ràdh
- saying
- 'S fhìor sin, tha a' bhùth ro dhaor.SEER shin, ha uh VOO roh GHURThat’s true, the shop is too dear.
- 'S fhìor
- is-true
- sin
- that
- tha
- is
- a'
- the
- bhùth
- shop
- ro
- too
- dhaor
- dear
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Surprise and sympathy
The words that react: to good news, bad news, and a story worth hearing. They are short, and said with feeling.
| means | use it | |
|---|---|---|
| Dha-rìribh? | really? | when news surprises you |
| Abair | what a …! | before a noun, to exclaim about it |
| Mo chreach | oh no, alas | when something has gone wrong |
| Obh obh | oh dear | for sympathy, when someone tells you their troubles |
- Dha-rìribh? Cha chreid mi e!gha-REE-riv? kha KHRAYT mee ehReally? I don’t believe it!
- Dha-rìribh
- really
- Cha chreid
- don’t-believe
- mi
- I
- e
- it
- Abair sgeul!AP-ur SKEE-ulWhat a story!
- Abair
- what-a
- sgeul
- story
- Mo chreach, dh'fhàg mi am fòn agam air a' bhus!moh KHRYEKH, GHAAK mee um FAWN AK-um er uh VOOSOh no, I left my phone on the bus!
- Mo chreach
- oh-no
- dh'fhàg
- left
- mi
- I
- am
- the
- fòn
- phone
- agam
- at-me
- air
- on
- a'
- the
- bhus
- bus
- Obh obh, tha sin duilich.OV OV, ha shin DOOL-eekhOh dear, that’s a shame.
- Obh obh
- oh-dear
- tha
- is
- sin
- that
- duilich
- sad
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Moving the talk on
To change the subject, come back to the point, follow one thing with the next, or bring a chat to a close without it ending abruptly.
| means | use it | |
|---|---|---|
| Co-dhiù | anyway | to bring the talk back round, or to start winding it up |
| Ma-thà | then, in that case | after a suggestion, or to close a plan |
| A-nis | now | to turn to the next thing |
| Mar sin | so, and so | to say what happened because of something |
- Co-dhiù, feumaidh mi falbh a-nis.ko-YOO, FAY-mee mee FAL-uv uh-NISHAnyway, I must go now.
- Co-dhiù
- anyway
- feumaidh
- must
- mi
- I
- falbh
- go
- a-nis
- now
- Chì mi a-màireach thu, ma-thà.KHEE mee uh-MAA-ruch oo, ma-HAAI’ll see you tomorrow, then.
- Chì
- will-see
- mi
- I
- a-màireach
- tomorrow
- thu
- you
- ma-thà
- then
- A-nis, dè an ath rud?uh-NISH, JAY un a ROOTNow, what’s the next thing?
- A-nis
- now
- dè
- what
- an ath
- the-next
- rud
- thing
- Bha mi sgìth, mar sin chaidh mi dhan leabaidh.va mee SKEE, mar SHIN KHY mee ghun LYAB-eeI was tired, so I went to bed.
- Bha
- was
- mi
- I
- sgìth
- tired
- mar sin
- so
- chaidh
- went
- mi
- I
- dhan
- to-the
- leabaidh
- bed
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Checking and asking back
Turning a statement into a question invites the other person in. Gaelic does it by adding the negative question form of the same verb at the end, much as English adds isn’t it?
| means | use it | |
|---|---|---|
| Nach eil? | isn’t it? aren’t you? | after something said with tha, to ask the other person to agree |
| Nach e? | isn’t it? | after something said with is, to ask the other person to agree |
| Dè thuirt thu? | what did you say? | when you didn’t catch something |
| Tha fhios agad | you know | to point to something the other person knows already |
- Tha e fuar an-diugh, nach eil?ha eh FOO-ur un-JOO, nakh YELIt’s cold today, isn’t it?
- Tha
- is
- e
- it
- fuar
- cold
- an-diugh
- today
- nach eil
- isn’t-it
- 'S e Calum a th' ann, nach e?SHEH KAL-um uh HA-oon, nakh EHIt’s Calum, isn’t it?
- 'S e
- it’s
- Calum
- Calum
- a th' ann
- that’s-in-it
- nach e
- isn’t-it
- Gabh mo leisgeul, dè thuirt thu?GAV muh LESH-kul, JAY HOORSHT ooSorry, what did you say?
- Gabh mo leisgeul
- excuse-me
- dè
- what
- thuirt
- said
- thu
- you
- Tha fhios agad, am fear a tha ag obair sa bhùth.ha ISS AK-ut, um FER uh ha ug OP-ur suh VOOYou know, the man who works in the shop.
- Tha fhios agad
- you-know
- am
- the
- fear
- man
- a
- who
- tha
- is
- ag obair
- working
- sa
- in-the
- bhùth
- shop
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Softening what you say
To sound less blunt: to guess rather than state, give an opinion gently, or take a little of it back.
| means | use it | |
|---|---|---|
| 'S dòcha | maybe | to make what you say less certain |
| Tha mi a' creidsinn | I suppose, I believe | to give an opinion gently |
| Ge-tà | though, however | at the end, to take a little of what you said back |
| Saoil | I wonder, do you think? | to wonder aloud, or to ask what someone thinks |
- 'S dòcha gun tig e a-màireach.SDAWKH-uh gun CHEEK eh uh-MAA-ruchMaybe he’ll come tomorrow.
- 'S dòcha
- maybe
- gun tig
- that-will-come
- e
- he
- a-màireach
- tomorrow
- Tha mi a' creidsinn gu bheil thu sgìth.ha mee uh KRAYCH-in guh VEL oo SKEEI suppose you’re tired.
- Tha
- am
- mi
- I
- a' creidsinn
- believing
- gu bheil
- that-are
- thu
- you
- sgìth
- tired
- Tha e brèagha an-diugh, ge-tà.ha eh BREE-uh un-JOO, gyeh-TAAIt’s lovely today, though.
- Tha
- is
- e
- it
- brèagha
- lovely
- an-diugh
- today
- ge-tà
- though
- Saoil an tig an t-aiseag an-diugh?SUL un CHEEK un TASH-uk un-JOOI wonder if the ferry will come today?
- Saoil
- I-wonder
- an
- whether
- tig
- will-come
- an
- the
- t-aiseag
- ferry
- an-diugh
- today
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