Gaelic Lesson 13 (Present Tense & Survival)
Duration: 30 mins
This 13th lesson deals with the present tense in Gaelic. In addition I included a vocabulary list about survival and emergencies. I will try to give examples using both vocabulary and grammar. That way it will be easy for you to see the words when they are separate and when they are in a sentence. Going through the whole page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Gaelic Classes.
Present
The present is one of the 3 tenses (past, present, and future) we will be discussing in the next 3 lessons. So it is recommended not to skip any of them because they are all related.
Below is a list of 15 sentences conjugated into the present tense. I focused on the examples you might come across or use very often. The table contains 3 columns (English, Gaelic, and Audio). Make sure you repeat each word after hearing it by either clicking on the audio button or by reading the pronunciation. That should help with memorization as well as improving your pronunciation.
Present Tense in Gaelic
| Present | Gaelic |
|---|---|
| I see you | Tha mi gad fhaicinn. |
| I write with a pen | Tha mi a' sgrìobhadh le peann. |
| You love apples | 'S toil leat ùbhlan. |
| You give money | Tha thu a' toirt airgead. |
| You play tennis | Tha thu a' cluich teanais. |
| He reads a book | Tha e a' leughadh leabhar. |
| He understands me | Tha e gam thuigsinn. |
| She has a cat | Tha cat aice. |
| She knows my friend | Tha i eòlach air a' charaid agam. |
| We want to learn | Tha sinn ag iarraidh ionnsachadh. |
| We think Spanish is easy | Tha sinn a' smaointinn gu bheil Spàinntis furasta. |
| You (plural) work here | Tha sibh ag obair an-seo. |
| You (plural) speak French | Tha Fraingis agaibh. |
| They drive a car | Tha iad a' dràibheadh càr. |
| They smile | Tha iad a' dèanamh fiamh-ghàire. |
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact me using the Gaelic contact form on the header above.
Survival Expressions
Below is a list of 28 words related to survival expressions such as emergencies, and calling for help. If you can memorize them by heart, you will be able to communicate better when in distress or when providing help to someone else who is in need.
Survival Expressions in Gaelic
| Accident | tubaist |
| Allergy | aileirgidh |
| Ambulance | carbad-eiridinn |
| Asthma | a' chuing-analach |
| Danger | cunnart |
| Doctor | dotair |
| Headache | ceann goirt |
| Heart attack | |
| Help me | Cuidich mi |
| Hospital | ospadal |
| Medicines | cungaidhean |
| Pharmacy | bùth-chungaidhean |
| Poison | puinnsean |
| Police | poileas |
| Stomach ache | stamag goirt |
| Stroke | stròc |
Daily Conversation in Gaelic
Finally, here are some common sentences to strengthen your conversation skills. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Gaelic Phrases page. Enjoy!
Common Expressions in Gaelic
| Are you okay? | A bheil thu ceart gu leòr? |
| Call a doctor! | Cuir fòn gu dotair! |
| Call the ambulance! | Cuir fòn gu carbad-eiridinn! |
| Call the police! | Cuir fòn gus a' phoileas! |
| Calm down! | Bi ciùin! |
| Fire! | Teine! |
| I feel sick | Tha mi a' faireachdainn tinn. |
| It hurts here | Tha e goirt an-seo |
| It's urgent! | Tha e cabhagach! |
| Stop! | Stad! |
| Thief! | Mèirleach! |
| Where is the closest pharmacy? | Càite a bheil am bùth-cungaidhean as dlùithe? |
| You look beautiful! (to a woman) | 'S ann bòidheach a tha thu-fhèin! |
| You have a beautiful name | 'S e ainm àlainn a th' ort. |
| This is my wife | Seo a' bhean agam. |
| This is my husband | Seo an duine agam. |
Fun Facts
Language Quote: ❝To have another language is to possess a second soul.❞ ‒Charlemagne
Congratulations! You finished your 13th lesson in Gaelic about the present tense, and survival expressions. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Gaelic Lesson 14. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Gaelic homepage.