Tha gaol agam ort
romantic, standard
In Scottish Gaelic you say Tha gaol agam ort for "I love you". It is built as "there is love at me on you", because Gaelic does not use a verb meaning "to love" here. It is also called Tha mi dèidheil ort.
Meaning: declaration of love (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | Note |
|---|---|
| Tha gaol agam ort | romantic, standard |
| Tha mi dèidheil ort | fondness, gentler |
Which one should you use?
Tha mi dèidheil ort means "I am fond of you" and is gentler than Tha gaol agam ort. For loving a thing or a place the pattern uses air, as in Tha gaol agam air Alba.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pieces are gaol (love), agam (at me) and ort (on you). To say it to more than one person or to someone you address formally, ort becomes oirbh, as in Tha gaol agam oirbh.
Did you know?
- Gaelic often puts feelings "on" a person with the word air, which is why love is ort (on you) and not a thing you do to someone.
Examples in context
- Tha gaol agam ort.I love you.
- Tha gaol mòr agam ort.I love you very much.
- Tha gaol agam air Alba.I love Scotland.
Example conversation
Calum tells his girlfriend Màiri how he feels while they walk along a beach.
- CalumTha gaol agam ort, a Mhàiri.I love you, Màiri.
- MàiriTha gaol agam ortsa cuideachd.I love you too.
- CalumTha mi toilichte.I am happy.
