Language/Scottish-gaelic/Grammar/Using-Prepositions

Scottish Gaelic → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Prepositions and Conjunctions → Using Prepositions

Using Prepositions in Scottish Gaelic

Prepositions are essential to express spatial, temporal, and other relationships between words in Scottish Gaelic. In this lesson, we will explore the most common prepositions, their usage, and several examples that will help you to understand how to use them.

What are Prepositions?

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun, pronoun, or verb to the rest of the sentence. Prepositions usually indicate location, direction, or time.

Scottish Gaelic prepositions can be categorized according to different types of relationships:

Spatial prepositions refer to the location, position, and movement of an object in space.

Temporal prepositions refer to the time period

Other prepositions refer to more abstract relationships such as purpose, manner, or cause.

Using Spatial Prepositions in Scottish Gaelic

Spatial prepositions describe the movement and position of an object in space. In Scottish Gaelic, prepositions can indicate different types of spatial relationships:

Location

The following table displays Scottish Gaelic prepositions that are commonly used to indicate "location":

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
ann an	[anˠ.n̪ˠə.ŋ]	in, at, inside, within
air	[aɾʲ]	on, above, over, on top of
fo	[fɔ]	under, below, beneath
thairis	['harɪʃ]	across, beyond
faisg air	['faʃk ɛr]	close to, near to, beside
taobh a-staigh	['t̪ap ə.st̪aj]	inside, within
taobh an iar	['t̪ap ɛ.nɪɾʲ]	on the west side
taobh an ear	['t̪ap ɛ.ɾʲ]	on the east side

Examples:

• Tha mi ann an Lunnainn. (I am in London.)
• Tha an cat air an tùr. (The cat is on the roof.)
• Tha e fo dheisg. (It is hard-to-reach.)

Direction

The following table displays Scottish Gaelic prepositions that are commonly used to indicate "direction":

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
gu	[ɡ̊u]	to, towards, until
o	[ɔ]	from
aig	[ɛk]	at, near, beside
tro	[t̪ɾɔ~t̪rɔx]	through, across
thar	[haɾ]	over, across, beyond

Examples:

• Tadhg coiseachd gu Cill Chuimein. (Tadhg is walking to Kilmallie.)
• Tha mi a' tighinn o Dhùn Èideann. (I am coming from Edinburgh.)
• Bha an cù aig na seòid. (The dog was at the shed.)

Position

The following table displays Scottish Gaelic prepositions that are commonly used to indicate "position":

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
os cionn	[ɔs̪ kʲɪnʲ]	above, over, beyond
faisg air / ri taobh	['faʃk ɛr / rʲi t̪ɑv]	near to beside, close to, next to
thall air / an cùl	['halər / ɛŋ kœl]	behind
mu dheireadh	['mu θerəɣ]	in the end, at last
thairis air / fo / troimhe	['harɪʃ ɛr / fɔ / t̪ɾɤ~t̪ɾɤ.. am]	past, over

Examples:

• Bha e os cionn na dachaigh. (It was above the house.)
• Bha mia faisg air an uidheam. (The cat was close to the door.)
• Bha an seanmhair thall air fhèin. (The granny was behind her.)

Using Temporal Prepositions in Scottish Gaelic

Temporal prepositions describe a relationship between two points in time. In Scottish Gaelic, prepositions can express the following temporal connections:

Duration

The following table displays Scottish Gaelic prepositions that are commonly used to indicate "duration":

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
thairis air	['harɪʃ ɛr]	past, over
nas fhaide na / nas lugha na	[nas̪ a'dʲɛ nə / nas̪ lumə nə]	More than / less than
air feadh	[ɛɾ fʲɛ]	throughout
airson	['ɛɾsən]	for
gu h-earr	[ɡ̊u hæɾ]	especially, particularly

Examples:

• Bha an turas thairis. (The journey is over.)
• Bha mi nas fhaide na Sean. (I am older than Sean.)
• Tha an cuideachd air feadh na dùthcha. (The group is throughout the country.)

Position

The following table displays Scottish Gaelic prepositions that are commonly used to indicate "position":

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
roimh	[rɔɪv]	before, in front of
às	[as̪]	ouf of
an sin	[ən ʃɪn]	then
os cionn	[ɔs̪ kʲɪnʲ]	above, beyond, over
thair syrth	['haɾ ʃɪrɪh]	after, following, according to

Examples:

• Bha sinn roimh an àrdachadh. (We were ahead of the increase.)
• Bha mi às an latha leithid. (I was out of that kind of day.)
• Tha an t-uisge air tighinn. An sin, bha sinn am broinn. (The water has arrived. Then we were inside.)

Other Prepositions in Scottish Gaelic

Besides spatial and temporal prepositions, Scottish Gaelic also has prepositions that express a variety of abstract relationships:

Manner and Purpose

The following table displays Scottish Gaelic prepositions that are commonly used to indicate "manner and purpose":

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
airson	['ɛɾsən]	for, on behalf of, reason of
le	[lɛ]	with, by means of, in order
mar	[maɾ]	like, as, similar to
tro	[t̪ɾɔ~t̪rɔx]	through, by, by means of
às deidh	[as̪ ʥe]	after, following, pursuing

Examples:

• Bha mi airson cèic a dhèanamh. (I baked a cake for.)
• Bha iad a' snàmh le linne. (They swim using the pond.)
• Bha e ansin mar a' bhràthair. (He was there like a brother.)

Comparison

The following table displays Scottish Gaelic prepositions that are commonly used to indicate "comparison":

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
na	[na]	than
gu / èist ris	[ɡ̊u / eʃkʲɪs̪t̪ ɾʲɪʃ]	like, as

Examples:

• Bha e nas pailt. (He was stronger-thicker.)
• Bha e gu math coltach ri nàire. (He was somewhat like shame.)

Negation

In Scottish Gaelic, the negation is formed by using the following prepositions:

Table of Contents - Scottish Gaelic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Noun Gender and Plurals

  ---

Everyday Objects and Common Verbs

• Common Household Items
• Basic Verbs

  ---

Pronouns and Verb Conjugation

• Personal Pronouns
• Conjugating Regular Verbs

  ---

Numbers, Time, and Dates

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time
• Days, Months, and Seasons

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Forming Questions
• Negating Sentences

  ---

Food and Drink

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Meals and Beverages

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing with Adjectives
• Using Adverbs

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Using Prepositions
• Linking with Conjunctions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel-Related Phrases

  ---

Scottish Gaelic Culture and Traditions

• History of Scottish Gaelic
• Traditional Music and Dance
• Festivals and Celebrations
• Literature and Poetry

Other Lessons

• Adjectives
• Pronouns
• Noun Gender and Plurals
• How to Use Have
• 0 to A1 Course
• Personal pronouns
• How to Use Be
• Conditional Mood
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Forming Questions

Scottish Gaelic	Pronunciation	English
gun	[kʲun~kə]	without, not having