Language/Scottish-gaelic/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Scottish Gaelic Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Scottish Gaelic learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use "have" in Scottish Gaelic. "Have" is one of the most commonly used verbs in the English language and can be translated in a few different ways in Scottish Gaelic. However, before we dive into the grammar rules, let's talk about some interesting facts about Scottish Gaelic.

Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language spoken mainly in Scotland by over 57,000 people. Although it has a rich literary tradition, it is considered to be an endangered language. The language has been impacted by the historical events of Scotland such as the suppression of Gaelic during the 18th century.

To improve your Scottish Gaelic Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

"Have" in Scottish Gaelic

In Scottish Gaelic, "have" can be translated in a few different ways depending on the context it is used in. These include "bhith ag", "fhuair", "fac" and "aig". Let's explore each one of them with examples.

"Bhith ag"

"bhith ag" is used to express possession or ownership. It's formed with the auxiliary verb "bhith" and the preposition "ag".

The table below shows some examples of "bhith ag" in sentences:

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
Tha an t-acras orm	Ha unh tah-kruhs orm	I am hungry (lit. "hunger is on me")
Tha an leabhar agam	Ha unh leh-vur agam	I have the book (lit. "the book is at me")
Tha a' bhainne agam	Ha uh vah-nyuh agam	I have the milk (lit. "the milk is at me")

"Fhuair"

"fhuair" is used as the past tense of "aig" which means "have" in its basic form. You would use this when you want to talk about something you had in the past but no longer possess.

The table below shows some examples of "fhuair" in sentences:

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
Fhuair mi litir bho mo charaid	Uw-ur mee le-at-ir vo muh kar-utchk	I got a letter from my friend (lit. "I had a letter from my friend")
Fhuair sinn bàta	Uw-ur shin bah-ta	We had a boat (but don't have it anymore)

"Fac"

"fac" is used to indicate the completion of a task or the receipt of something. It can also be translated as "got" in some cases.

The table below shows some examples of "fac" in sentences:

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
Chuala mi an fheadhainn-sa bhon neach-ciùil	Hoo-la mee un-yain-so von nyahch-kew-il	I got/had these from the musician (lit. "I heard these from the musician")
Chuala sinn e	Hoo-la shin eh	We got it (lit. "We heard it")

"Aig"

"aig" is used to indicate something that you have or possess. This is a basic way of saying "I have" or "you have".

The table below shows some examples of "aig" in sentences:

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
Tha leabhar agam	Ha leh-vur agam	I have a book
Tha coin agaibh	Ha cohn ag-eef	You have a dog

It's important to note that "aig" and "fhuair" can also be used to indicate a past-tense possession of something, depending on the context of the sentence.

Dialogue

Let's practice using "have" with a dialogue. In this dialogue, a person is asking about someone's belongings.

Person 1: An eil làmh annad airson an làmhainn? (Do you have a hand for the glove?) Person 2: Tha, tha làmh agam ann. (Yes, I have a hand in it.)

Conclusion

In conclusion, "have" can be translated in a few different ways in Scottish Gaelic. The most common ones are "bhith ag", "fhuair", "fac" and "aig". Use them to describe possession, past-tense possession, and the completion of a task.

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Conditional Mood & How to Use Be.

Other Lessons

• Personal pronouns
• How to Use Be
• Future Tense
• Plurals
• Adjectives
• Negation
• Give your Opinion
• Conditional Mood
• Pronouns
• Questions