October :: page 3
Cha leig thu leas (You don’t need to)

Morag is looking very confused. She needs something but what is it? Have a listen to the conversation to find out. It’ll help you to learn how to use these phrases yourself. There will be a phrase or two you’ll recognise from previous lessons, too. Keep an ear out!

Morag	Obh, obh! Chan eil fios agam dè rinn mi! Oh dear, oh dear! I don’t know what I’ve done!
Melodaidh	Dè tha ceàrr ort? What’s wrong? (Literally: What is wrong upon you?)
Morag	Tha rudeigin a dhìth orm I need something
Melodaidh	Dè tha a dhìth ort? What do you need?
Morag	Tha còta blàth a dhìth orm! I need a warm coat!
Melodaidh	Chan eil idir! ’S e latha math a tha ann! Not at all! It’s a good day today!
Morag	Feumaidh mi falbh agus bidh e fuar. I have to leave and it will be cold.
Melodaidh	Cha leig thu leas cota a chur ort. You don’t need to put a coat on.

Now listen to their conversation.

Play MP3 file

We’ve managed to drop in another couple of phrases that will come in very handy. Tha rudeigin a dhìth orm – this means “I have a want of (for) something”. If you’ve mislaid something and you want to say you’re needing a pen, for example, you’d say: Tha peann a dhìth orm.

Another really useful phrase is Melodaidh’s last line: Cha leig thu leas. This means: “You don’t need to”. You’ll be very likely to hear this in conversations. Have a gander at the additional useful phrases below which will give you some more ideas and vocabulary.

Useful vocabulary

Gaelic	English
Tha airgead a dhìth orm	I need money
Bha sin a dhìth orm	I needed that (i.e. ‘That would have been useful to me’)
Bidh ad a dhìth ort	You will need a hat
Bidh airgead a dhìth ort	You will need money
Cha leig thu leas	You don’t need to
Cha leig thu leas sin a dhèanamh	You don’t need to do that
Cha leig thu leas fuireach	You don’t need to stay

[ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ] Next Page