Halò, ciamar a tha thu?
to one person
In Scottish Gaelic you can say "hello, how are you?" as Halò, ciamar a tha thu? To several people or politely, say Halò, ciamar a tha sibh?
Meaning: greeting with a question about well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | Note |
|---|---|
| Halò, ciamar a tha thu? | to one person |
| Halò, ciamar a tha sibh? | to several or politely |
The usual answer is Tha gu math, tapadh leat, "I am well, thank you". You can add Dè mu do dheidhinn-sa?, "And you?"
What does it mean word for word?
Halò is "hello" and ciamar a tha thu? is "how are you?" The word ciamar means "how".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Thu is for one person you know well. Sibh is for a group or for someone you wish to address politely.
Did you know?
- In Gaelic Tha gu math literally means "is well" and the pronoun mi is often left out.
Examples in context
- Halò, ciamar a tha sibh an-diugh?Hello, how are you today?
Example conversation
Anna meets her neighbour Donald in the street.
- AnnaHalò, ciamar a tha thu?Hello, how are you?
- DòmhnallTha gu math, tapadh leat. Dè mu do dheidhinn-sa?I am well, thank you. And you?
- AnnaTha mi gu math.I am well.
