The Scotsman

Gaelic guide for learners

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Bidh, cha bhi, am bi?, nach bi?

Last week we started this series with the verb bi ‘to be’ in the present tense: tha, chan eil, a bheil? and nach eil? Today we look at the future tense: bidh, cha bhi, am bi?, nach bi?

Bidh i fuar a-nochd ‘it will be cold tonight’; cha bhi i fliuch a-màireach ‘it won’t be wet tomorrow’; am bi i tioram a-màireach? ‘will it be dry tomorrow?’; nach bi i stoirmeil an ath-oidhche? ‘will it not be stormy tomorrow night?’

The verb bi in the future tense can also be used to say what you will be doing: bidh Eilidh a’ cluich iomain Disathairn­e ‘Eilidh will be playing shinty on Saturday’. The future tense can express an activity in the future: cha bhi Seonachan a’ cluich ball-coise ‘Seonachan will not be playing football’; am bi Dàibhidh a’ dol air cuairt beinne an ath-sheachdain? ‘is David going on a mountain walk next week?’; or it can express a regular or habitual activity: bidh Eilidh a’ cluich iomain gach Disathairn­e ‘Eilidh plays shinty every Saturday’; nach bi thu a’ snàmh sa mhuir? ‘don’t you swim in the sea?’ You can answer these questions with bithidh ‘yes’ or cha bhi ‘no’. Am bi Ùna a’ sgitheadh gach bliadhna? ‘does Una ski every year?’ – bithidh ‘yes’. lsabhal Mòr Ostaig offers Gaelic learning opportunit­ies on site and by distance learning www.smo.uhi.ac.uk

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