Two groups: (A) Masculines; (B) Feminines
Article: am in singular; na in plural
| bata | a walking stick | am bata | na bataichean |
| baile | a town | am baile | na bailtean |
| balach | a boy | am balach | na balaich |
| bòrd | a table | am bòrd | na bùird |
| breac | a trout | am breac | na bric |
| bann | a belt, a band | am bann | na bannan |
| peann | a pen | am peann | na pinn |
| paipeir | a paper | am paipear | na paipeirean |
| mac | a son | am mac | na mic |
| maighstir | a master | am maighstir | na maighstirean |
| mullach | a top | am mullach | na mullaich |
| fear | a man | am fear | na fir |
| fàinne | a ring | am fàinne | na fàinneachan |
Article: a' in singular; na in plural
| bean | a woman | a' bhean | na mnathan |
| bròg | a shoe | a' bhròg | na brògan |
| briogais | breeches | a' bhriogais | na briogaisean |
| pairc | a park | a' phàirc | na pàircean |
| pìob | a pipe | a' phìob | na pìoban |
| màthair | a mother | a' mhàthair | na màthraichean |
| meur | a finger | a' mheur | na meuran |
| fras | a shower | an fhras * | na frasan |
| fiacail | a tooth | an fhiacail | na fiaclan |
| feòil | flesh | an fheòil | - |
| fuil | blood | an fhuil | - |
All the nouns in Group A have the same form, with or without the definite article, in the nominative and accusative singular. The dative case is also the same as the nominative after a preposition followed by the indefinite article in English. e.g.:
| on a table | air bòrd | at a town | aig baile |
| on a paper | air paipeir | with a stick | le bata |
But when the preposition is followed by the definite article in English we have a different form in the dative case in Gaelic. e.g.:
| on the table | air a' bhòrd | at the town | aig a' bhaile |
| on the paper | air a' phaipeir | with the stick | leis a' bhata |
In the case of F nouns, in both groups, after a preposition followed by the definite article we have similar forms in the dative case. e.g.:
| A. | with the man | leis an fhear | on the ring | air an fhàine |
| B. | with the tooth | leis an fhiacail | on the flesh | air an fheòil |
(Note the "fh's" - which are silent.)
To translate the preposition "in" followed by the indefinite article we use "ann an". e.g. "Ann an dorus", "in a door". But before the labial consonants m, b, p, f, the final `n' of the preposition becomes `m', thus:
| in a pot | ann am poit | not *ann an poit |
| in a town | ann am baile | not *ann an baile |
| in a ring | ann am fàinne | not *ann an fàinne |
In regard to the nouns in Group B - feminine nouns - we shall use in the Reading, at this stage at least, only such as have the same form in the nominative and dative.
| Group A. - Nouns | |
| bodach, an old man | putan, a button |
| balla, a wall | peitean, a vest |
| bàta, a boat | poca, a bag |
| boineid, a bonnet | maide, a stick |
| brochan, gruel | bradan, a salmon |
| fuaim, a sound | falt, hair |
| fraoch, heather |
| Group B. - Nouns | |
| maighdean, a maiden | bùth, a shop |
| maduinn, a morning | piseag, a kitten |
| min, meal | peighinn, a coin, a penny |
| poit, a pot | buntàta, a potatoe |
| pòcaid, a pocket |
| Verbs in common use | |
| bhuail, kicked | thàinig, came |
| rinn, did or made | fhuair, got |
| chuala, heard | chuir, put |
| thilg, threw |
Bha am bata aig an dorus. Tha am peann air a' bhòrd. Tha am paipeir air an làr. Bha am breac anns an loch. Tha falt air an fhear. C'àite am beil am maighstir? Tha am maighstir agus am balach anns a' bhaile. Chuir am balach am boineid air a' mhaide. Fhuair a' bhean na bradain anns a' bhùth. Chuir a' mhaighdean am breac anns a' phoit. Fhuair an gille a' bhriogais ann am poca. An e sin am poca? Chan e sin am poca ach a' phòcaid. Am beil an fheòil anns a' phoit? Chan eil, fhuair a' phiseag an fheòil air a' bhòrd. Rinn am balach fuaim leis a' bhata. Chuala am maighstir am fuaim. Thàinig am balach le boineid anns a' mhaduinn. C' àite am beil am brochan? Tha am brochan anns an truinnsear. Chuir am bodach am fraoch anns a' phoca, agus thàinig e leis a' phoca anns a' maduinn. Am beil pòcaid anns a' bhriogais? Chan eil, ach tha pòcaid anns a' pheitean. C' àite am beil am peitean? Tha e air a' mhaighstir agus chuir e na putain anns a' phòcaid. Am beil peighinn anns a' phòcaid. Rinn a' phìob fuaim. Chuala na fir am fuaim. Thilg a' bheann a' bhròg air an fhear.
| Có a tha aig an dorus? | Tha a' bhean aig an dorus. |
| Who is at the door? | The woman is at the door. |
| Có rinn am fuaim? | Rinn a' phìob am fuaim. |
| Who made the sound? | The pipe made the sound. |
| Có bhuail am balla? | Bhuail am balach am balla. |
| Who struck the wall? | The boy struck the wall. |