Sentential possession

Possession using 'Aig'

Gaelic has no verb 'have' . Instead sentential possession is indicated by using the verb Bi (irregular verb) (Tha, Bha, Bithidh 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

Idioms using Tha ... agam

• Need: Tha feum agam dòl "I need to go"
• Love: Tha gaol agam ort "I love you
• Love: Tha gràdh agam ort "I love you"
• Hate: Tha gràin aca oirnn. "They hate us"
• Know: Tha fios agam "I know"
• Remember: Tha cuimhn' agam air "I remember him"

Possession using Le

To indicate a more intimate kind of possession, such as ownership, Gaelic uses a structure parallel to the one above, using the preposition Le (preposition) meaning with, instead of aig. Just as Gaelic doesn't have a verb have it also doesn't have a verb "own:

3)

Tha	leabhar	le	Calum
Be.pres	book	with	Calum
Calum owns a book

When the possessor is pronominal one of the inflected forms of aig (e.g. agam, agad, aige, etc.) is used:

4)

Tha	leabhar	leis
Be.pres	book	with.3sm
He owns a book

see also

• Genitive case
• Possessive Pronouns
• how to indicate the perfect (I have eaten): Viewpoint Aspect
• how to indicate obligation (I have to go/I need to go): Modality

References

• Fisher, Muriel (2004) Scottish Gaelic: level 1. Seattle: Each-Mara Publications