gaol
masculine, everyday
Scottish Gaelic has two common words for "love", gaol and gràdh. Both are masculine nouns and both are used for affection between people.
Meaning: deep affection (noun)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | Note |
|---|---|
| gaol | masculine, everyday |
| gràdh | masculine, tender |
Gaol is the one you meet in the everyday phrase Tha gaol agam ort, "I love you". It also covers loving a hobby or a place, as in Tha gaol agam air ceòl, "I love music".
Which one should you use?
Gràdh often sounds more tender or poetic and turns up in forms of address such as mo ghràdh, "my love", and in phrases like gràdh mo chridhe, "love of my heart".
Did you know?
- After mu and after mo the first letter of gaol softens in writing, so you see mu ghaol and mo ghaol.
Examples in context
- Tha gaol agam air ceòl.I love music.
- Gràdh mo chridhe.Love of my heart.
- Tha an t-òran mu ghaol.The song is about love.
Example conversation
Màiri and Calum listen to a song on the radio.
- MàiriTha gaol agam air an òran seo.I love this song.
- CalumTha e brèagha.It is beautiful.
- MàiriTha e mu ghaol.It is about love.
