Unit 10 - Talking about music and dance
Is toil leam ceòl "I like music"
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Now, to learn how to say you like something. For this we use a special phrase: Is toigh leam. Here the leam is a special construction, a prepositional pronoun, which is a combination of the preposition le (with) and mi (me). These change with each person. Hear how they work:
- Is toigh leam
- I like
- Is toigh leat
- You like
- Is toigh leis
- He likes
- Is toigh leatha
- She likes
- Is toigh leinn
- We like
- Is toigh leibh
- You like
- Is toigh leotha
- They like
Hear how negatives are formed and how to reply to a question about likes or dislikes by following the conversation between John and Helen.
The construction is toigh le will often be met in the conditional i.e. where the action is uncertain or may be conditional on something else. Here the construction is bu toigh le, but otherwise it is the same. The following conversation will show you how it works.
Notice the word seadh in the conversation - it is a very useful word which is roughly equivalent to "aye" or "uh-uh", an acknowledgement that you have heard what is being said to you. It is not, however, a direct answer to a question. That must always be done by using the verb which is used in the question.
