beag
/b̥ek/
The Gaelic word for 'little' is beag. Wiktionary also lists mean and meanbh.
Meaning: small in size (adj)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA |
|---|---|
| beag | /b̥ek/ /b̥ɤk/ (Lewis) |
| mean | /mɛn/ |
| meanbh | /ˈmɛnɛv/ |
| mion | /min/ |
The adjective beag is used to describe things that are small in physical size.
Which one should you use?
While beag describes the physical dimensions of an object, the related word beagan is used as an adverb or determiner to mean 'a little bit' or 'a small amount' of something.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective beag is used to describe the size of a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/b̥ek/
Did you know?
- In Gaelic culture, adding a word for 'little' to a name can function as a term of endearment rather than a description of physical size.
- The word mean is a linguistic relative of the English words 'minus' and 'minor'.
- Gaelic has multiple distinct words for 'little' such as beag, mean, meanbh, and mion, depending on the nuance of size or quality.
Examples in context
- Tha beagan Gàidhlig agam.I speak a little Scottish Gaelic.This sentence shows how to use beag when referring to the amount of a language spoken.Tatoeba #847768 by marloncori, translation #847770 by marloncori
- Tha beagan Beurla aig mo mhàthair.My mother speaks little English.This sentence demonstrates the use of beag regarding the amount of English a person speaks.Tatoeba #773140 by marloncori, translation #773142 by marloncori
- Chan eil ach beagan Gàidhlig agam.I only speak a little Gaelic.This sentence uses beag to express having only a small amount of a language.Tatoeba #5745598 by Catriona, translation #5745600 by Catriona
- Dia duit, a chara. Tá cupán beag tae agam.Hello, friend. I have a little cup of tea.
- Tá cláirseach beag aige.He has a small harp.
- Tá madra beag agam.I have a small dog.
- Ólann seisiún beag den uisce beatha gach tráthnóna.He drinks a little whiskey every evening.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Angus and Isla are looking at a puppy.
- AngusSeall air an cu beag seo!Look at this little dog!
- IslaO, tha e urobhaig beag.Oh, he is a little puppy.
- AngusAn e beag na làithean?Is he little these days?
- IslaTha, ach tha e fàs gu luath.Yes, but he is growing quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “little” translations and entries beag, mean, meanbh, mion, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beag, mean, meanbh, mion, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
