Kentel 1: Verbs
This Lesson contains a few common verbs you will need to know for a conversation.
Vocabulary / Geriagoueg
- Note : The examples use different tenses (present, imperative, past, ...). These tenses are explained later on ... so, don't worry!
| Brezhoneg |
English |
Example
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| Mont (or monet in Gwenedeg)
|
To go
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Ret eo din mont da Gemper
I must go to Kemper
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| Bout' or Bezañ
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To be
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Laouen on
I am happy
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| Anavezout
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To know
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Bro-Saoz a anavezan mat
I know well England
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| Gouzout
|
To know
|
Me a oar mat brezhoneg
I know well Breton
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| Deskiñ
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To learn
|
Deskit brezhoneg !
Learn Breton!
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| Kregiñ
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To start
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Kroget em eus da zeskiñ brezhoneg
I have started to learn Breton
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| Echuiñ
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To end
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Echuet eo va labour ganin
I have finished my work
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| Debriñ
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To eat
|
Un aval a zebran
I eat an apple
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| Evañ
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To drink
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Kafe a evomp
We drink coffee
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| Ober
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To do / To make
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Trouz a rejont e-pad an noz
They made noise all along the night
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| Dont (or Donet in Gwenedeg)
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To come
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Deus buan !
Come quick!
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| C'hoari
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To play
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Deus da c'hoari ganin !
Come and play with me!
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| Karout
|
To love
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Karet out ganin
I love you
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| Kaozeal
|
To speak
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Gant piv e c'hellin kaozeal a-zivout ar gavadenn-se?
With whom will I be able to speak about this finding?
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| Lavarout or Lavaret
|
To say
|
Ha me a lavar hag a lavaro...
And I say and will say...
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| Skrivañ
|
To write
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Ul lizher hir a skrivomp
We write a long letter
|
| Lenn
|
To read
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Ul levr a lennit
You read a book
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| Kazout
|
To hate
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Ar big he deus kazet he neizh
The magpie has started to hate her nest
(from a person that will not come back home)
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| Mennout
|
To will
|
Mennout a rit staliañ anezho ?
Do you want to install them?
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| Prederiañ
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To think
|
Met pa brederian warno ur wech an amzer...
But when I think of them from times to times...
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| Genel
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To beget
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Me zo bet ganet e-kreiz ar mor...
I was born in the middle of the sea...
(excerpt of a poem)
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| Gwelout or Gwelet
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To see
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Plijet on o welout ac'hanout
I am glad to see you
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| Sellout
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To look
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Sell 'ta piv !
Look now who's coming!
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| Mervel
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To die
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Ret eo d'an holl mervel teir gwech...
All must die three times...
(excerpt from a song in Barzhaz Breizh)
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| Komz
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To speak / To chat
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Komzit brezhoneg d'ho pugale !
Speak Breton to your children!
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| Labourat
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To work
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Bevomp ha labouromp e Kreiz-Breizh !
Let's live and work in Central Brittany!
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| Gwerzhañ
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To sell
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Gwerzhet em eus ma c'harr
I have sold my car
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| Kemer
|
To take
|
Kemerit ho amzer!
Take your time!
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| Degemer
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To receive
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Dec'h hor boa degemeret ho koulenn
We received your request yesterday
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| 'Kas
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To send
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Kasit ul lizher dezho !
Send a latter to them!
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Exercises/Poelladennoù
As in the previous courses, do this exercise.
Ex 1
Write out the Breton words, section by section.
Have 2 columns, clearly separated, and write Breton and English. Then cover up one column (eg. English) with paper and write the corresponding words on the paper.
Then try it the other way round, cover up the Breton, and write out the words using the English as cues. This will be a little bit more difficult.
Repeat all this after an interval, the more you do it the easier you will remember the words.
Ex 2
Now, this will be a little more difficult.
Take the following verbs , and put them down on paper:
Skrivañ • Echuiñ • Karout • Kas • Sellout • Mervel • Kregiñ • Kemer • Mont • Dont
Now, Each one has an opposite. Now re-write the positives beside them.
Cover up the original list, and write the list in English as before.
e.g.
Karout - Love
Skrivañ - Write
And again cover up the Breton, but write the English Opposite.
e.g. Love- Hate • Write - Read
Now, cover up the first English column, and write the Breton for the 2nd English.
e.g. Hate - Kazout • Read - Lenn
Cover up the English and write the opposites again.
e.g. Kazout - Karout • Lenn - Skrivañ
Then back to the begginning again!
e.g. Karout - Love • Skrivañ - Write
Carry on doing this until you can do it with ease.
Again, you will learn these verbs really quite quickly while doing this.
But you can also use adjectives
Bras (big) • Bihan (small) • Bras etc.
And nouns
Mamm (mother) • Tad (father) • Mamm etc.
You can include as many words as you want.
Ar vaouez vihan (The small woman) • an den bras (the big person) • ar vaouez vras etc.
You can do practically anything with this.
If you want to, you can go back to Brezhoneg Unan and use this technique as a test to see if you remember them.
If you wish to, add more verbs to your list, and if you find a pair of verbs (e.g. Love/Hate) add them firstly to the complete list and then to the smaller list in Ex 2.
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