fuar
/fuəɾ/
In Gaelic, the English word "cold" is translated as fuar.
The word fuar is an adjective used to describe something that has a low temperature.
Meaning: having a low temperature (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use the adjective fuar to describe something as being cold, but use the noun fuachd to refer to the cold itself (e.g., 'the cold').
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the adjective fuar after the verb tha, it is invariable in both gender and number.
How do you pronounce it?
/fuəɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use fuar to mean having a cold as an illness. Instead, use the noun cnatan to refer to an illness such as a cold.
Did you know?
- The root of fuar is linked to an ancient Proto-Indo-European word *h₃ewǵ-, which also left a trace in the Old Armenian language.
- In Gaelic, there is a sharp distinction between describing a temperature and describing a feeling. To say someone is 'cold' in terms of feeling a chill, you would use a different grammatical structure than simply labeling them with the adjective fuar.
Examples in context
- Tha e fuar an-diugh!It's cold today!This sentence is useful for noting the current temperature of the day using fuar.Tatoeba #1535618 by Cainntear, translation #456205 by lukaszpp
- Tha e fuar.It's cold.This sentence is useful for a simple statement about the temperature using fuar.Tatoeba #1515925 by Cainntear, translation #1813 by CK
- Bha a’ ghrian blàth anns a’ mhadainn, ach tha i fuar an-dràsda.The sun was warm in the morning, but it's cold at this moment.This sentence is useful for contrasting a change in temperature using fuar.Tatoeba #852009 by marloncori, translation #852030 by marloncori
- Tha an t-sìde fuar an-diugh.The weather is cold today.
- Tha e gu math fuar ann an Alba an-dràsta.It's quite cold in Scotland right now.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Eilidh and Callum are deciding what to wear before going outside.
- EilidhA bheil e fuar a-muigh?Is it cold outside?
- CallumTha, tha e gu math fuar.Yes, it is quite cold.
- EilidhAn tòisich mi air mo chòta?Should I put on my coat?
- CallumTha, cuir an còta ort, a Eilidh.Yes, put your coat on, Eilidh.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cold” translations and entries fuar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fuar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
