A Beginner\'s Guide to Gaelic

Failte! A Beginner’s Guide to Gaelic

[Cairngorms Nation­al Park logo]

[Image: Sign­post at Glen­shee Ski Centre]

Would you like to be able to use some basic Gael­ic in your busi­ness, com­munity, pro­ject, organisation?

This resource includes com­monly used phrases and land­scape-related vocab­u­lary, mean­ings and pro­nun­ci­ations, and links to sound clips where you can hear a nat­ive speak­er say­ing them slowly and clearly.

Why learn these Gael­ic phrases?

When con­duct­ing inter­na­tion­al trade deals, busi­ness people often learn a few phrases in their trade partner’s nat­ive lan­guage. The act of learn­ing at least a token greet­ing shows cour­tesy and helps build bridges.

In the case of Gael­ic, it also recog­nises Scotland’s rich, mul­ti­lin­gual back­ground. If you feel that Scots or Dor­ic are a large part of your iden­tity, you should include them in your cor­res­pond­ence too. It makes you stand out from the rest and may be an ice-break­er in form­al situations.

The Chinese call it guanxi and in Gael­ic the concept is caidre­abh (pro­nounced KAJ-rev).

[Image: Per­son play­ing a violin]

Greet­ings

Gael­ic	Pro­nun­ci­ation	Eng­lish
fàilte	FAHL-chuh	wel­come
fàilte gu … x	FAHL-chuh GOO	wel­come to … x
madainn mhath	MAH-dooyn VAH	good morn­ing
feas­gar math	FES-gurr MAH	good after­noon
oid­hche mhath	OY-huh VAH	good night
an ceartair	an KYARSH-ter	just now
mar sin leibh	MAR SIN LAY‑v	good­bye

[Link to Gael­ic les­son on greetings]

[Image: Group of people gathered near a building]

Intro­du­cing yourself

Gael­ic	Pro­nun­ci­ation	Eng­lish
is mise … x	IS MI-shuh	I am … x
dè an t‑ainm a th’ ort?	JAY an TEN-um ah HORSHT?	what’s your name? (inform­al)
dè an t‑ainm a th’ oirbh?	JAY an TEN-um ah HO-riv?	what’s your name? (polite)

[Link to Gael­ic les­son on intro­du­cing yourself]

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Place names

Gael­ic	Pro­nun­ci­ation	Eng­lish
beinn, ben	BINE	moun­tain, hill pin­nacle, high place
bràigh	BRUY	brow of a hill
caisteal	CASH-ch-yell	castle, fort, tower, garrison
càrn	CAARN	moun­tain, heap of stones
cnoc	K‑NOCK	hill, knoll, hil­lock, eminence
cre­ag	CRAIG	rock, crag, cliff, precipice
dùn	DOON	heap, hill, fort­ress, castle
meall	MYAL	lump, mass, great shape­less hill
mon­adh	MON-uhg	moor, moun­tain range, heath
sgòrr	SGOH‑r	sharp steep hill, rising by itself, peak
sìthean	SHEE-hun	little hill, knoll, fairy hill
sròn	SRON	nose, promon­tory, ridge of a hill
stac	STAH-ck	high cliff, pre­cip­ice, pro­ject­ing rock
tom	TOH‑m	round hillock/​knoll, rising ground, swell, green eminence

[Image: Water­fall in a rocky stream]

Water

Gael­ic	Pro­nun­ci­ation	Eng­lish
aber (Pic­tish)	AH-bur	river mouth
abhainn	AH-wain	river
uisge	OOSH-guh	river
allt, uillt	OWL‑t	stream or burn
àth	AAH	ford
caochan	COO-hun	boggy or under­ground streamlet
eas	EH‑s	water­fall
eilean	AY-lan	island
inbhir	IN-uh-ver	con­flu­ence, meet­ing place of rivers
linn	LEE‑n	pool, pond
loch		lake

[Image: Rolling hills under a blue sky]

Land­scapes

Gael­ic	Pro­nun­ci­ation	Eng­lish
achadh	ACH-ug	field
bogach	BOG-ach	marsh, bog
coille	COY-yuh	wood
dail	DAL	river mead­ow
doire	DOR-uh	grove or thick­et of oak
fèith	FAY	bog, bog channel
gleann	GLYOW‑n	glen, val­ley
strath		broad flat river valley

[Image: Mul­ti­col­oured stones on a beach]

Col­ours

Gael­ic	Pro­nun­ci­ation	Eng­lish
bàn	BAH‑n	white: pale, light, wan, fair
buidhe	BOO-yeh	yel­low
dearg	JAH-rug	red: bright, crimson
donn	DOWN	brown
dubh	DOOH	black, dark
fionn	FEW‑n	white: pale, lilac, bright
geal	GYAHL	white: clear, radi­ant, glistening
glas	GLAH‑S	grey-green, grey, wan
gorm	GUH-rum	blue: azure
liath	LEE-yuh	light grey
odhar	OH-are	khaki
ruadh	ROO-uhg	ruddy
uaine	OOAH-nye	green