Interrogatives

Interrogative Pronouns - Asking Questions

**The interrogative pronouns Cò - Who, Dè - What, Ciamar - How, Carson - Why** and Cuin - When are all followed by the relative forms of the verb :
Tenses of the Verb TO BE
Present	Past	Future	Conditional
a tha	a bha	a bhitheas / a bhios	a bhithinn / a bhiodh
nach eil	nach robh	nach bi	nach bithinn / nach biodh

**Uses**
Cò bha ag òl? * - Who was drinking?
Cò nach eil ag iarraidh deoch? - Who doesn't want a drink?
Dè bha i a' dèanamh? * - What was she doing?
Dè nach eil air an liosta? - What's not on the list?
Ciamar a tha thu? - How are you?
Carson a bhios i ag reic an taighe? - Why will she be selling the house?
Carson nach eil sibh a' fuireach? - Why are you not staying?
Cuin a bhithinn sàbhailte? - When would I be safe?
Cuin a bhiodh iad sàbhailte? - When would they be safe?
Cuin nach bi e sàbhailte? - When will it not be safe?

* Where the interrogative pronoun ends in a vowel the relative pronoun a is frequently elided in both speech and literature

**The interrogative pronoun Càite - Where**

This is followed by the the interrogative forms of the verb :
Tenses of the Verb TO BE
Present	Past	Future	Conditional
a bheil	an robh	am bi	am bithinn / am biodh
nach eil	nach robh	nach bi	nach bithinn / nach biodh

**Uses**
Standing alone the form to use is **Càite** but this is contracted to **Càit** in all other positions.
In the spoken language **Càit** is frequently shortened to simply Cà :
Càit an robh thu a-raoir? - Where were you last night?
Cà 'n robh thu a-raoir? - Where were you last night?
Càit a bheil iad a' dol? - Where are they going?
Cà bheil iad a' dol? - Where are they going?
Càit am bi e a-màireach? - Where will he be tomorrow?
Cà 'm bi e a-màireach? - Where will he be tomorrow?

NEW WORDS

**Adverbs**
air ais - back, behind

**Nouns**
ainm (m) - name	àite (m) - place
caisteal (m) - castle	ceannard (m) - chief, head
comann (m) - society	leabharlann (m) - library
sealladh (m) - view, sight	seòrsa (m) - sort, type, kind
not(a) (m) - pound sterling	piàna (m) - piano
banais (f) - wedding	deoch (f) - drink
duais (f) - prize	liosta (f) - list
ùpraid (f) - din, carry-on

**Verbs**
giùlain, giùlan - carry	siubhail, siubhal - travel
streap, streap - climb

**Verbal Phrases**
Tha a dhìth orm - I need / lack	Tha a dhìth oirnn - We need / lack
Tha a dhìth ort - You need / lack	Tha a dhìth oirbh - You need / lack
Tha a dhìth air - He needs / lacks	Tha a dhìth orra - They need / lack
Tha a dhìth oirre - She needs / lacks

**EXERCISE 1 Translate into English**
1.Cò tha a' falbh leis an nighean sin? 'S mise	2.Dè seòrsa (de) bhiadh a tha sibh ag iarraidh?
3.Càit am bi iad a' fuireach a-nochd?	4.Cò tha a' dol a chosnadh duais aig a' Mhòd am bliadhna?
5.Ciamar a bha do mhàthair a' faireachdainn a-raoir?	6.Cò 's urrainn cluiche air a' phiàna?
7.Dè an t-ainm a tha air ur piuthar?	8.Cò am fear ris an robh iad a' bruidhinn a-raoir?
9.Dè bha ga cumail air ais?	10.Cuin a bhitheas iad a' fàgail Ghlaschu?
11.Carson as toil leibh an sealladh den chaisteal?	12.Cuin a bhitheas tu a' tilleadh dhachaigh?

**EXERCISE 2 Translate into Gàidhlig**
1.What do you need now? I need some money	2.How are they travelling to Edinburgh?
3.Who is the chief of that society?	4.When will the wedding be?
5.Who is going to give me a pound?	6.What type of place does she live in?
7.Who works in the new library?	8.What were they carrying in the bag?
9.What sort of carry-on were they making?	10.Why was Màiri not at school today?
11.Who can't climb up that hill?	12.Where are they going to play?

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 1**
1.Who's going out with that girl? Me	2.What sort of food do you want?
3.Where will they be staying tonight?	4.Who's going to win the prize at the Mod this year?
5.How was your mother feeling last night?	6.Who can play the piano?
7.What's the name of your sister?	8.Who's the man to which they were speaking last night?
9.What was keeping her back / behind?	10.When will they be leaving Glasgow?
11.Why do you like the view of the castle?	12.When will you be returning home?

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 2**
1a.Dè tha dhìth ort a-nis? Tha airgead a dhìth orm 1b.Dè tha dhìth ort a-nis? 'S e airgead a tha dhìth orm	2.Ciamar a tha iad a' siubhal gu Dùn Èideann?
3.Cò 's e an ceannard den chomann sin?	4.Cuin a bhitheas a' bhanais ann?
5.Cò tha a' dol a thoirt nota dhomh?	6.Dè seòrsa de dh'àite anns a bheil i a' fuireach?
7.Cò tha ag obair anns an leabharlann ùr?	8.Dè bha iad a' giùlan anns a' bhaga?
9.Dè seòrsa de dh'ùpraid a bha iad a' dèanamh?	10.Carson nach robh Màiri anns an sgoil an-diugh?
11.Cò nach urrainn streap suas an cnoc sin?	12.Càit a bheil iad a' dol a chluiche?

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