relative: who, which, that

an leabhar a leugh mi, the book that/which I read

A often disappears in both speech and writing when it comes after a vowel, e.g. dè nì thu? for dè a nì thu? What did you do? (compare ciamar a nì thu e? how will you do it?)

comprehensive relative: (all) that which, (all) those who/which, what

ghabh e na bha agam, he took what I had, he took that which I had

if (used with present, past and future tenses)

ma thèid thu a dh’Alba, if you go to Scotland

indicates a negative statement

chan eil iad an-seo, they are not here.

Takes the form cha before consonants and chan before vowels. Cha lenites non-dental consonants, i.e. consonants other than d, t, s.

indicates positive questions

an cuala tu sin? did you hear that?

Takes the form am before b, f, m, p and an before other letters.

has three functions: indicates negative questions, and introduces negative subordinate clauses and relative clauses.

nach cuala tu sin? didn’t you hear that?

thuirt e nach cuala e sin, he said that he didn’t hear that.

an leabhar nach do leugh mi, the book that I didn’t read

Nach usually lenites f only.

introduces positive subordinate clauses

thuirt e gun tig e a-màireach, he said that he’ll come tomorrow.

Takes the form gum before b, f, m, p and gun before other letters.

if (used with conditional/imperfect tense)

bhithinn toilichte nan tigeadh i, I’d be happy if she came.

Takes the form nam before b, f, m, p and nan before other letters.

if not, unless

cha tèid mise mur tèid thusa, I won’t go if you don’t go, I won’t go unless you go.

Some people say mura instead of mur.

before

Falbhaidh mi mun till thu, I’ll leave before you return.

Takes the form mum before b, f, m, p and mun before other letters. Some people say mus instead of mus/mun; mus usually lenites f only.