Yes, no and the essentials in Scots Gaelic
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Scots Gaelic words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Scots Gaelic phrases in this lesson
- Thaha
- Yes
- Chan eilkhan YEL
- No
- Ceart gu leòrkyarst guh LYAWR
- Okay
- Chan eil mi a' tuigsinnkhan yel mee uh TOOK-shin
- I don't understand
- A bheil Beurla agad?uh vel BYOOR-luh ak-ut
- Do you speak English?
- An can thu sin a-rithist?un KAN oo shin uh-REE-isht
- Can you repeat that?
- Nas slaodaiche, mas e do thoil enus SLOO-dich-uh, mas eh daw HOL eh
- Slowly, please
- Dè tha seo?jeh ha SHAW
- What is this?
- Tha feum agam air...ha FAYM AK-um er
- I need...
- An cuidich thu mi?un KOO-jich oo mee
- Can you help me?
Gaelic does not have a single word for yes. Tha is the positive form of the verb "to be" and is the most common affirmative response. Context tells you which yes is meant.
Literally "is not." Like yes, Gaelic negatives are verb-based rather than a standalone word. This is the most frequent no you will encounter in everyday speech.
Literally "right enough." This is the go-to expression for "that's fine" or "understood." You may also hear the anglicised O.K. used by younger speakers.
Say this slowly and most Gaelic speakers will switch to English immediately. Never feel embarrassed to use it: the effort of trying the language is what matters.
Almost all Gaelic speakers are fully bilingual, so the answer is nearly always yes. Beurla is the Gaelic word for English.
Literally "slower, please".
Literally "there is need at me for ...".