The Leabhar na Gàidhlige booklet is a simple guide for using Gaelic in the classroom. Each entry includes the Gaelic word or phrase, its English translation, an illustration, and an audio file to help with pronunciation.
Users of this blog or booklet are also encouraged to visit learngaelic.scot, where they will find additional words and phrases in the Beginners Section. The section called Twenty Words is especially useful.
English classes have recently been busy writing poems and stories for various competitions.
Many thanks to our S6 judges: Blair Mackenzie, Anthony MacInnes, Brooke MacDonald and Isla Beaton.
Mrs MacIntyre’s S1 class entered the ‘Animal Poem’ competition with house points to be awarded for the prize-winning poems.
Here are the winning poems:
Bats!!!
Flying, flying in the sky
Bats are neat, I’ll tell you why!
Flying squirrels are the tallest
Bumble bee bats are the smallest.
Bats are Yellow, Red and brown,
Bats sleep hanging upside down!
Some eat bugs and some eat fruit
Some look mean and some look cute.
Flying, flying in the sky
Bats are neat and now you know why!
Tiger
Crick crack the grass snaps
as the tiger ploughs through the dead grass,
not an animal in sight nor creature to fight
just an empty field, no sign of life
in comes a lion ready to fight, no fear in its eyes just some might
The tiger in shock feeling tight, only one thing to do is to fight.
Both eyes now meet with some fear
both tiger and lion tear ear from ear
the victorious tiger wins the fight
and the unfortunate lion sleeps tonight.
Chicken
Last night I dreamed of chickens,
There were chickens everywhere,
They were standing on my stomach,
They were nesting in my hair,
They were pecking at my pillow,
They were hopping on my head,
They were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced around my bed.
They were on the chairs and tables,
They were on the chandeliers,
They were roosting in the corners,
They were clucking at my ears,
There were chickens, chickens, chickens
for as far as I could see...
When I woke up today, I realized...
there were eggs on top of me!
Creatures under the sea to the top of a mountain.
On top of a mountain, or under the sea.
Away in a desert or alone in a barn,
Or tucked in a tree trunk.
Hiding from all the harm.
On Bright, sunny grasslands,
Or in a dark cave.
In jungles and forests
Where all must be brave.
On ice in the Arctic,
Or holed underground
There are so many places
Where creatures can be found.
The S2 Literacy class entered another competition where they had to come up with a 100-word story on the theme of ‘Grim Tales’. The winners were as follows:
After the big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew all over the houses of the three little pigs the final pig decided to make a business out of the brick laying, advertising the strong brick house among the village of pigs that feared the mighty wolf. The bricklaying pig made a fortune and once he’d made every house in the village he had gone to many villages, but once the wolf had figured out the trick of the brick he knew another food needed to be eaten, maybe a mole? A rabbit? But not a pig for a while.
I woke up to a shadow coming from my door, I was shaking really badly. But then they left, I heard my door close, so I got up. Everything was the same, nothing had changed. I looked out the window and saw a tall dark figure looking at me. It only had eyes on its face nothing else. I ran downstairs to lock all the windows and doors, but I wasn’t quick enough. The figure was in my house. I hid in my wardrobe. I heard it looking for me. It came inside the wardrobe and then everything went black.
My name is Grimmle the lobster. I am someone you know nothing about. I am an evil lobster you don't know the truth about. I am an evil lobster owner of north lobster sea, and I kill anyone who challenges me. I have an army of 60 blue lobsters that nobody can defeat. I own over half the North Sea, and it all belongs to me. I don't have children for I am an evil lobster and nobody likes me. I am a bully in lobster city, and nobody knows the proper truth about the real me.
Our book of the month.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Recommended for 12 up
The hunger games is an action adventure novel, full of tense moments in which teenage girl Katniss Everdeen gets picked to play in the hunger games. This is a yearly event where 24 teenagers 2 from 12 districts are put in an arena to fight to the death for the Capital’s (The evil rulers of the country) entertainment. Now she will have to fight for survival or die trying.
We were delighted to welcome back former student Paul Morrison to Sgoil Lionacleit as our inspirational guest speaker to S3 German, Gaelic and Gaidhlig students. Paul shared his incredible journey with languages, from his studies in Edinburgh and Oxford to his current PhD in Slavic Culture at Harvard.
Paul spoke passionately about the importance of learning languages and how they have shaped his career and life. He also shared fascinating stories from his time in Moscow and Barcelona, where he worked.
Our pupils had the opportunity to ask Paul questions about his experiences, gaining valuable insights into the exciting opportunities languages can offer. Paul’s journey is a true inspiration for all who dream of making languages a key part of their future.
Since August, our S3 and two S5 German students have been exchanging letters with penpals at a school in Unterägeri, Switzerland. They corresponded in both German and English, learning about each other’s daily lives, school routines, hobbies, and interests. The students also discovered that their Swiss peers are particularly passionate about floorball, and everyone enjoys spending time outdoors by the beautiful lakes in Switzerland.
In addition to letters, students received videos from their penpals, giving them a glimpse into life in Switzerland. The exchange has been a fantastic opportunity to practice language skills and connect with students from another country. Of course, the highlight for many was the arrival of Swiss sweets with each new letter—a sweet treat that added a special touch to the experience! Keep your eyes peeled for more interesting facts and updates from our penpals in the coming weeks!
This term, our S2 students have been exploring food and healthy lifestyles in their German classes. As part of their cultural learning, they were given the exciting opportunity to try their hand at making one of Germany’s most beloved street foods: Currywurst!
The students learned about the origins of this iconic dish, which consists of a delicious sausage served with a tangy curry-flavored sauce, often enjoyed at food stalls across Germany. After learning the recipe in German, they rolled up their sleeves and got cooking in the kitchen. It was a memorable experience that combined language, culture, and culinary skills, making learning German even more delicious!
This term, all classes were invited to participate in the SCILT (Scotland’s National Centre for Languages) German Poster Competition. The challenge was to design a poster showing what the German-speaking world means to them, using as much German as they liked.
Our students embraced this opportunity with creativity and enthusiasm. The posters showcased their unique perspectives on German culture, language, and geography, all while practicing their language skills.
We’re incredibly proud of the effort and talent displayed, and we’d like to thank SCILT for organising this inspiring competition. Stay tuned for the winners to be announced soon!
Ceumannan 1 – Blue Book Audio files
modal 1 | aonad 1
5. Dè an t-ainm an th’oirbh? | Èist `ris an earrainn. Earrann 2
8. Dealbhan | Èist ri Màiri agus Pòl. Earrann 3
Sùil air ais 4 Feasgar math! | Èist `ris an earrainn. Earrann 4
Use the steps to help you learn and remember vocabulary.1. Look carefully at one side of the card. 2. Say the word to yourself or out loud to practise pronunciation. 3. Recall the meaning of the word/phrase. 4. Turn over the card when you think you understand the word/phrase. 5. Check the word/picture. If you get it right, put it to one side. If you get it wrong, put it to the bottom of the pile and come back to it again.
Notice that the sound and spelling of some months can change (lenition) when you put anns before them. Remember what happened when you put anns before a place name like:
An Gearasdan Fort William >>> Anns a’ Ghearasdan in Fort William
The same happens with months, where it can:
Mar eisimplier:
An Gerran February >>> anns a’ Ghearran in February
Am Màrt March >>> anns a’ Mhàrt in March
To say in which month your birthday is, you say: Tha mo cho-là-breith anns… (followed by the month)
If you want to ask what day it is today, you say: Dè an latha a th’ ann an-duigh.
To say what day it is today you say: ‘S e… a th’ann an-diugh.
If you want to check what day it is you say: An e … a th’ann an-diugh?
You have seen questions like this before.
Remember when you checked what something was, you asked: An e … a th’ann?
Mar eisimpleir:
An e Diluain a th’ann an-diugh? Is it Monday today?
Chan e… It’s not…
‘S e… It is…
In Gaelic there are two words for Sunday:
Là na Sàbaid Sabbath
Didòmhnaich Sunday
You should use whichever one you prefer, but you need to be able to recognise both as you will hear both words for Sunday used. In Gaelic, just like in English, people from different places sometimes use different words for the same thing.
Gaelic may have no word for a, but it has more than one word for the. The word the in English
is called the definite article.
Mar eisimpleir:
am peann the pen,
an rùilear the ruler.
Choosing which the to use in Gaelic before a noun depends on:
The classroom objects you have been learning in this unit are all singular and masculine. Below are three words for the to use with masculine nouns.
am for nouns starting with b, f, m, p >>> am peansail the pencil
an t- for nouns starting with vowels >>> an t-aodach the clothes
an for nouns starting with any other letter >>> an leabhar the book
If the noun is feminine, the word for the will be:
a’ for nouns starting with b, c, g, m, p >>> a’ bhròg the shoe
an (+h) for nouns starting with f >>> an fhreagairt the answer
an t- for nouns starting with sl, sn, sr, s + vowel >>> an t-sràid the street
an for nouns starting with any other letter >>> an uinneag the window
If the noun is plural, the word for the will be: na
na brògan
na miotagan
To check what something is, you ask: An e… a th’ ann? You will see that mo is shortened to m’ before a vowel or vowel sound.
If the noun following begins with an f, mo is shortened to m’ and an h is added to the noun:
m’ fhòn-làimhe.
Mo and do can change the word that comes after them. This is called lenition.
Try these when you want to say in my, in your etc:
na + mo = nam bhaga in my bag
na + mo = nam bheachd in my opinion
na + a = na bhaga in his bag
na + a = na baga in her bag
So, a pencil is just peansail.
A coat/coat is just còta.
A shirt/shirt is just lèine.
If the adjective doesn’t give you a glue, then you look up the dictionary.When you use an adjective to describe a noun, the adjective usually comes after the noun.
Remember:
Madainn mhath! Good morning!
Feasgar math! Good afternoon!If the noun is feminine, the sound and spelling of the adjective can change.
Mar eisimpleir:
Masculine nouns:
Feminine nouns:
Colours are adjectives too and therefore, the same rules apply. Mar eisimpleir:
Therefore, we can tell that the word lèine is feminine and that geansaidh is masculine.
To ask what colour something is, you say:
To say what colour something is, you say:
Mar eisimpleir:
If someone has red hair you would say ruadh and not dearg to describe it.
Likewise, if someone has grey hair you would use liath, not glas.Gaelic has more than one word for yes and no and is and is not.
Choosing the right one to use depends on the question asked.
Mar eisimpleir:
A bheil…?
Tha. Yes, it is.
Chan eil. No, it isn’t.
An e…?
‘S e. Yes, it is.
Chan e. No, it isn’t.
To ask if someone lives in a particular place you say:
To say where someone does or does’t live, you say:
To ask what a place is like, you say:
In Gaelic, you will have noticed that there is more than one word for in.
When you want to tell your teacher you’ve finished something, you say:
If you want to know what to do next, ask:
If you don’t know something, you say:
If you want to say excuse me, you say:
to someone older or more than one person.
dà or dhà?
You are used to seeing the word dhà for two: dhà, dhà-dheug, fichead ‘s a dhà…
But, you use the word dà when you are talking about two things.
Notice what else happens when you use the word dà.
Mar eisimpleir:
fichead / twenty
dà fichead / two twenties peansail / a pencil dà peansail / two pencils
cù / a dog
dà chù / two dogsWhen someone wants to know your age, he/she will ask: Dè an aois a tha thu/sibh?
When you reply, you say: Tha mi…
When you want to ask someone else a person’s age you ask: Dè an aois a tha Calum? or Dè an aois a tha e?
The reply would be: Tha Calum còig-deug or Tha e còig-deug. or if it’s a girl: Dè an aois a tha Màiri? or Dè an aois a tha i?
The reply would be: Tha Màiri sia-deug or Tha i sia-deug.
When someone asks what age you are, he/she will say: Dè an aois a tha thu?
When you ask his/her age in return, you put more emphasis on the question, just like you do in English: What age are you?
You do this by using fhèin.
Dè an aois a tha thu fhèin?
Also, remember to swap thu for sibh, if you are being polite or talking to more than one person.
Sometimes you will hear people use the words: bliadhna a dh’aois after their age.
Mar eisimpleir: Tha mi fichead bliadhna a dh’aois. I am twenty years old.
Notice that an h- is inserted before the numbers aon and ochd. This is because they both begin with vowels: a h-aon, a h-ochd.
aon / h-aon
ochd / h-ochdAs well as being told what to do in class, there will be occasions when the teacher will tell you not to do something!
To tell someone not the do something is easy!
You put na before the command.
Na suidh sios!
Don’t sit down!
Na Duin an doras!
Don’t shut the door!
You will notice that when the teacher is speaking to the whole class there is an -ibh at the end of verbs.
They say:
Thig a-steach! to one person but Thigibh a-steach! when he asks the whole class to come in.
Bi modhail! to one person but Bithibh modhail! when the whole class is misbehaving!
Mas e do thoil e is how you say please to someone you know well.
Mas e ur toil e is how you would say it to more than one person or to someone when being polite.
1. LOOK carefully at the word for ten seconds. 2. SAY the word to yourself or aloud to practice pronunciation. 3. COVER the word when you think you have learned it. 4. WRITE the word when you think you have learned it. 5. CHECK the word. If you get it wrong, go through the steps again.
It is easy to ask how someone else is.
Mar eisimpleir:
Ciamar a tha Iain?
How is Iain?
Chan eil Iain gu math.
Iain isn’t well.
Remember when someone asks your name and you ask him/her the same question, you say: Dè an t-ainm a th’ ort fhèin?
When someone asks you how you are and you want to ask him/her the same question, you add fhèin again:
In Gaelic, there are two ways of saying your name, just like in English.
To check what someone’s name is, you say:
You will notice that when people are talking in Gaelic and using each other’s names, the sound (and spelling) of most names change. This is called the vocative case.
Names beginning with a vowel or l, n and r don’t change.
When someone calls your name, you should answer: Seadh. This is a bit like uh-huh in English.
In Gaelic, you will often see surnames beginning with Mac or Nic.
Mac is for boys.
Nic is for girls.In Gaelic, we use a different form of you when speaking to different people.
When speaking to someone around the same age as you, or someone younger, you say: Dè an t-ainm a th’ ort?
When speaking to someone older or being polite, you would say, Dè an t-ainm a th’ oirbh?
Practice Dè an t-ainm a th’ ort? on your friends and Dè an t-ainm a th’ oirbh? on your teacher and your parents.
When someone asks your name, he/she will say:
When you then ask his/her name, you put more emphasis on the question, just like you do in English – What’s your name?
In Gaelic, you do this by adding the word fhèin.
die Krabben.
Crabs.
die Krabbe.
A crab.
die Riffe.
The reefs.
das Riff.
A reef.
das Neidrigwasser.
Low tide.
das Hochwasser.
High tide.
die Gezeiten.
The tide.
die Küstenerosion.
Costal erosion.
Erodieren.
Eroding.
die Buchten.
Bays.
die Bucht.
A bay.
die Kaninchen.
Rabbits.
das Kaninchen.
A rabbit.
die Igel.
Hedgehogs.
der Ingel.
A hedgehog.
die Gänse.
The geese.
die Gans.
The goose.
die Hirsche.
The deer (pl).
der Hirsch.
The deer.
die Morr Huhn.
A moorhen.
der Alderfarn.
Bracken.
der Gipfel.
The Summit.
die Hügelspitze.
The top of the hill.
die Berge.
hills.
die Hügel.
mountains.
der Hügel.
a hill.
der Berge.
a mountain.
das Schmalbättriges Wollgras.
bog cotton.
die Heidekraut.
heather.
die Torfufer.
Peat banks
das Torfufer.
A peat bank.
das Heideland.
The moor.
das Strandgras.
The marram grass.
Sandiges und grasiges Land.
The machair.
der Fisch.
Fish.
die Seevögel.
Seabirds.
die Vögel.
Birds.
der Sand.
Sand.
die Felsen.
Rocks.
die Muschel.
Shells.
das Seegras.
Seaweed.
der strand.
The beach.
die Küste.
The shore.
die See.
The Sea.
die Insekten.
Beasties.
das Moos.
Moss.
die Überschwemmungen.
Floods.
die Überschwemmung.
A flood.
die Erderwärmung.
Global warming.
die Umwelt.
The environment.
die Welt um uns herum.
The world around us.
Es ist kein guter Morgen.
It’s not such a good morning.
Es ist keine gute Nacht.
It’s not such a good morning.
Es ist eine schöne Nacht.
It’s a fine night.
Es ist ein guter Tag.
It’s not such a good day today.
Es ist ein toller Tag.
It’s a great day.
Es ist schöner Tag.
It’s a lovely day.
Das Wetter ist schlecht.
The weather is bad.
Es ist ein gutter Tag.
It’s a good day.
Es ist ein netter tag.
It’s a nice day.
Es ist ein schöner Tag.
It’s a fine day.
Das Wetter ist …
The weather is …
Das Wetter ist …
The weather is …
Der Morgen.
The Morning.
