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Breton/Level 2/Lesson 1

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Kentel 1: Verbs

This Lesson contains a few common verbs you will need to know for a conversation.

Vocabulary / Geriadur

Note : The examples use different tenses (present, imperative, past, ...). These tenses are explained later on ... so, don't worry !

Brezhoneg English Example
mont, or monet To go Mont a ran da Gemper
I go to Kemper
bout or bezañ To be Laouen on
I am happy
Anavezout To know Bro Saoz az anavezan mat
I know well England
Gouzout To know Me oar mat Brezhoneg
I know well Breton
Deskiñ To learn Deskit Brezhoneg !
Learn Breton !
Kregiñ To start Kroget am eus da zeskiñ Brezhoneg
I have started to learn Breton
Echuiñ To end Echuet eo va labour ganin
I have finished my work
Debriñ To eat Un aval a zebran
I eat an apple
Evañ To drink Kafe a evomp
We drink coffee
Ober To do / To make Trouz a reont e-pad an noz
They make noise during the night
Dont or Donet To come Deus 'ta buan !
Come quick !
C'hoari To play Deus da c'hoari ganin !
Come and play with me !
Karout To love / To like Karet out ganin
I love you
Kaozeal To speak Gant piv e c'hellin kaozeal a-zivout ar gavadenn-se?
With whom will I be able to speak about this finding ?
Lavarout or Lavaret To say Ha me lavar hag a lavaro ...
And I say and will say ...
skrivañ To write Ul lizher hir a skrivomp
We write a long letter
Lenn To read Ul levr a lennit
You read a book
kazout To hate Ar big he deus kazet he neizh
The magpie has started to hate her nest
(from a person that will not come back home)
Mennout To will Mennout a rit staliañ anezho ?
Do you want to install them ?
Prederiañ To think Met ma prederian warno ur wech an amzer ...
But when I think of them from times to times ...
Ganet Born Me zo bet ganet e-kreiz ar mor ...
I was born in the middle of the sea ...
(excerpt of a poem)
Gwelout or Gwelet To see Plijet on o welout ac'hanout
I am glad to see you
Sellout To look Sell 'ta piv !
Look who's coming !
Mervel To die Ret eo d'an holl mervel teir gwech ...
All must die three times ...
(excerpt from a song in Barzhas Breizh)
Komz To speak / To chat Komzit Brezhoneg d'ho pugale !
Speak Breton to your children !
Labourat To work Bevomp ha labouromp e Kreiz-Breizh !
Let's live and work in Center Brittany !
Gwerzhañ To sell
Kemer To take
Degemer To receive
'Kas To send

Exercises/Poelladenn

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.
eg.
Karout - Love
Skrivañ - Write

And again cover up the Breton, but write the English Opposite.
Eg.
Love- Hate
Write - Read

Now , Cover up the first English column, and write the Breton for the 2nd English.

Hate - Kazout
Read - Lenn

Cover up the English and write the opposites again.

Kazout - Karout
Lenn - Skrivañ

Then back to the beginning again

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 - Small - Bihan - Bras ect.

And nouns

Mamm - Mum - Dad - Tad - Mamm

You can include as many words as you want.

ar vaouez vihan - The small woman - the big man - an den bras - ar vaouez vihan

You can do practically anything with this.

If you want, you can go back to Level 1 And use this technique as a test to see if you remember them.

If you wish, add more verbs to your list , and if you find a pair of verbs (eg.Love/Hate) Add them firstly to the complete list and then to the smaller list in Ex 2.