Sentential possession
From Scottish Gaelic Grammar Wiki
Gaelic has no verb 'have' . Instead sentential possession is indicated by using the verb Bi (Tha, Bha, Beidh etc) followed by the possessed element followed by the preposition aig and then the possessor:
(1)
Tha | leabhar | aig | Calum |
Be.pres | book | at | Calum |
Calum has a book |
When the possessor is pronominal one of the inflected forms of aig (e.g. agam, agad, aige, etc.) is used:
(2)
Tha | leabhar | aige | |
Be.pres | book | at.3sm | |
He has a book |
see also
- Genitive case
- Pronominal possession
- how to indicate the perfect (I have eaten): Viewpoint Aspect
- how to indicate obligation (I have to go/I need to go): Modality
- Idioms using Tha X aig Y structures:
- Need: Tha feum agam dòl Modality