In this post, you will learn how to say ‘how are you?’ in Scottish Gaelic. You’ll also learn common responses so you can respond if you’re asked this question. This can be really useful if you’re speaking with someone from Scotland who speaks Scottish Gaelic or if you’re travelling there.
Scottish Gaelic (or Scots Gaelic) is a Goidelic language native to Scotland, United Kingdom.
It became a spoken language in Scotland in the 13th century however English has been the main language spoken in Scotland since the 18th century.
Today around 57,000 people speak Scottish Gaelic fluently and another 87,000 people can speak some Scottish Gaelic.
Table of Contents
How To Say ‘How Are You?’ In Scottish Gaelic
There are a few different ways to ask ‘how are you?’. Here are the most common:
In informal situations, such as with friends, you can say:
| English | Scottish Gaelic | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Ciamar a tha thu? | Kimmer a ha oo |
| How are you doing? | Dè do chor? | Day doh hor |
In more formal situations, such as with people you don’t know, you can say:
| English | Scottish Gaelic | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Ciamar a tha sibh? | Kimmer a ha shiv? |
You can also use this last phrase if you’re speaking to a group rather than one person, even in informal situations.
Check out the below video to hear the pronunciation of these phrases:
How To Respond To ‘How Are You?’ In Scottish Gaelic
There are many different ways that you can reply to this question. Below are the most common responses to this question. I’ve also included how to say ‘thank you’ as it’s polite to thank someone if they ask how you are.
| Thank you (informal) | Tapadh leat | Tah-puh let |
| Thank you (formal) | Tapadh leibh | Tah-puh liev |
| I’m fine | Tha gu math | Ha guh ma |
| I’m great | Glè mhath | Gle va |
| I’m not feeling well | Chan eil gu math | Han ehl guh ma |
| I’m tired | Tha mi sgith | Ha mi sgee |
| I’m sick | Tha mi tinn | Ha mi cheyn |
| I’m fantastic | Tha mi air mo dhòigh | Ha mi air mo goiy |
| Not bad | Chan eil dona | Han ehl dona |
It’s also useful to know how to say ‘and you?’ or ‘what about you?’ to find out how someone else is if they ask you.
| English | Scottish Gaelic | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| What about you? (formal) | Ciamar a tha sibh fèin? | Kimmer a ha shiv fayn? |
| What about you? (informal) | Ciamar a tha thu fèin? | Kimmer a ha oo fayn? |
Check out the below video to hear the pronunciation of some of these phrases:
Example Conversation:
Person 1: Ciamar a tha thu? (How are you?)
Person 2: Tha gu math, tapadh leat. Ciamar a tha thu fèin? (I’m fine, thanks. What about you?)
Person 1: Tha gu math (I’m fine)
Thanks for reading this post.
You should now know how to say ‘how are you?’ in Scottish Gaelic and you should also be able to respond if you’re asked!
You can’t go wrong with these simple phrases.
Someone’s birthday coming up? Learn how to wish them a happy birthday in Scottish Gaelic.
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