Gaelic Lesson 4 (Prepositions and Directions)
Duration: 30 mins
This first lesson teaches many important aspect of Gaelic like prepositions, vocabulary list about directions and finally common phrases about how to introduce yourself. 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.
Prepositions
Prepositions are used in almost every sentence. They can be a great tool to link words with each other. For example by simply knowing how to use "to", "with", "from", "after" you can expand your conversation scope. In short, a preposition describes a relationship between words in a sentence, for example: I agree with you.
Below is a list of 27 prepositions that 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.
Prepositions List in Gaelic
| Prepositions | Gaelic |
|---|---|
| In front of | air beulaibh |
| Behind | air cùl |
| Before | ro (followed by a noun); mu (followed by a verb) |
| After | an dèidh |
| Inside | a-staigh; a-steach (with movement) |
| With | còmhla ri |
| Without | gun |
| Outside | a-muigh; a-mach (with movement) |
| On top of | air |
| Under | fo |
| About (in regards to) | mu dheidhinn |
| Against | an aghaidh |
| And | agus |
| As (similar to) | mar |
| Between | eadar |
| But | ach |
| For | airson |
| From | às |
| In | ann an |
| Instead of | an àite |
| Near | faisg |
| Of | |
| Or | no |
| Since | o chionn |
| So | mar sin |
| To | |
| Until | gus |
Now we will try to implement some of the prepositions above into full Gaelic sentences. That way you will be able to use the word not only by itself but embedded in a structure.
Gaelic Prepositions in a Sentence
| English | Gaelic | |
|---|---|---|
| Can I practice Italian with you? | Am faod mi Eadailtis cleachdadh còmhla riut? | |
| I speak French but with an accent | Tha Fraingis agam agus guth-ghleus agam cuideachd. | |
| I was born in Miami | Rugadh mi ann am Miami. | |
| I'm from Japan | Tha mi à Seapan. | |
| The letter is inside the book | Tha an litir anns an leabhar. | |
| The pen is under the desk | Tha am peann fon a' bhòrd. | |
| Directions | ||
| Can I help you? | Am faod mi gad chuideachadh? |
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact me using the Gaelic contact form on the header above.
Vocabulary List about Directions
Below is a list of 28 words and sentences related to directions that you might need when lost or asking for help. If you can memorize them by heart, you will be able to travel from point A to point B by following directions.
Giving Directions in Gaelic
| Directions | Gaelic |
|---|---|
| Can you help me? | Am faod thu gam chuideachadh? |
| Can you show me? | Am faod thu gam shealladh? |
| Come with me! | Thig còmhla rium! |
| Downtown (city center) | |
| Excuse me! (to ask someone) | Gabh mo leisgeul! |
| Go straight | Rach dìreach. |
| How can I get to the museum? | Càite a bheil an taigh-tasgaidh? |
| How long does it take to get there? | Dè cho fada a tha e? |
| I'm lost | Tha mi air chall. |
| I'm not from here | Chan eil mi às an-seo. |
| It's far from here | Tha e fada bhon an-seo. |
| It's near here | Tha e faisg air an-seo. |
| One moment please! | Mionaid, mas e do toil leat! |
| Turn left | Gabh an car clì. |
| Turn right | Gabh an car ceart. |
| Far | fada |
| Here | an-seo |
| Left | clì |
| Right | ceart |
| Near | faisg air |
| Straight | dìreach |
| There | an-sin; an-siud |
| To drive | do |
| To turn | tionndaich |
| To walk | coisich |
| Traffic light | solas-trafaig |
| Transportation | giùlan |
Daily Conversation in Gaelic
Finally, a couple sentences to help you know how to introduce yourself in Gaelic. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Gaelic Phrases page. Enjoy!
Common Expressions in Gaelic
| English | Gaelic |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | A bheil Beurla agad? |
| Just a little | Chan eil ach beagan. |
| What's your name? | Dè an t-ainm a th' ort? |
| My name is (John Doe) | 'S mise (John Doe) |
| Mr... / Mrs. ... / Miss... | Maighstir (Mgh.)/Bana-Mhaighstir (Bmh.) |
| Nice to meet you! | Math do choinneachadh! |
| You're very kind! | Tha thu glè chaoimhneil! |
Fun Facts
Language Quote: The language of a society changes slowly but steadily with the result that an educated person will not be able to read or understand words in his language written 500 years ago. Do you feel like you can't talk to your parents? Maybe it's because you belong to the Niger-Congo family. More than 1,400 languages are spoken by different members of this family from Africa..
Congratulations! You finished your 4th lesson in Gaelic about prepositions, and directions. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Gaelic Lesson 5. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Gaelic homepage.