Gaelic guide for learners

‘Looking forward to’

In Gaelic, as in other languages, the same thing can often be expressed in different ways, writes Janni Diez.

Today we look at saying ‘looking forward to (something)’. The most common way of saying this is coimhead air adhart ri (rudeigin). For example, tha mi a’ coimhead air adhart ris a’ chèilidh ‘I’m looking forward to the ceilidh’. Although common, this expression is an adoption from the English ‘looking forward to’.

Another way of saying the same in Gaelic is tha mi a’ dèanamh fiughair ris a’ chèilidh. Fiughair means ‘hope’ or ‘expectation’ and appears in the similar phrase tha fiughair (mhòr) orm ris a’ chèilidh ‘I’m (really) looking forward to the ceilidh’. The same word can express expectation: tha fiughair agam ris ‘I’m expecting him’.

Another word that is used is fadachd ‘longing, yearning’: tha fadachd orm ris an Nollaig ‘I’m looking forward to Christmas’; tha fadachd orm rid fhaicinn ‘I’m looking forward to seeing you.’

You can find these and other expressions in Am Faclair Beag, online at faclair.com lsabhal Mòr Ostaig offers Gaelic learning opportunities on site and by distance learning www.smo.uhi.ac.uk