Learn Scots
Discover the bonnie tongue o’ Scotland
Welcome tae yer journey intae Modern Scots! This language has been spoken in Scotland for centuries, evolving from Old English and influenced by Gaelic, Norse, and French. Today, Scots is spoken by hunners o’ thoosands across Scotland and beyond. Whether ye’re tracin’ yer Scottish roots or simply love languages, this interactive guide will help ye learn the fundamentals o’ this rich and expressive tongue.
Essential Vocabulary
01
Everyday Greetings
Learn how tae greet fowk like a true Scot
Hullo / Hiya
Hello
“Hiya! How’s it gaun?”
Guid mornin
Good morning
“Guid mornin tae ye!”
How ye daein?
How are you?
“How ye daein the day?”
Cheerio / Tata
Goodbye
“Cheerio, see ye later!”
Aye
Yes
“Aye, that’s richt!”
Naw
No
“Naw, I cannae come.”
02
Common Words
Words ye’ll hear every day in Scotland
Wee
Small / Little
“A wee dram o’ whisky.”
Braw
Fine / Excellent
“That’s a braw day ootside!”
Bonnie
Beautiful / Pretty
“She’s a bonnie lass.”
Ken
Know
“D’ye ken whit I mean?”
Hoose
House
“I’m gaun hame tae ma hoose.”
Bairn
Child
“The bairns are playin’ outside.”
03
People & Family
Talk aboot the fowk in yer life
Lassie / Lass
Girl / Young woman
“She’s a canny wee lassie.”
Laddie / Lad
Boy / Young man
“The laddie’s awfy tall.”
Maw
Mother
“Ma maw maks the best soup.”
Paw
Father
“Ma paw’s awa tae work.”
Fowk
People / Folks
“Thae fowk are awfy nice.”
Freend
Friend
“He’s ma best freend.”
04
Describing Things
Adjectives tae express yersel
Awfy
Very / Awful
“It’s awfy cauld the day.”
Canny
Careful / Nice / Clever
“He’s a canny man.”
Dreich
Dreary / Dull (weather)
“It’s a dreich day ootside.”
Braw
Fine / Grand
“That’s braw news!”
Daft
Silly / Crazy
“Ye’re pure daft!”
Muckle
Large / Much
“That’s a muckle fish!”
05
Actions & Verbs
Get movin’ wi’ these verbs
Gaun / Goin
Going
“Whaur ye gaun?”
Dae
Do
“Whit dae ye want?”
Cannae
Cannot / Can’t
“I cannae come the nicht.”
Gie
Give
“Gie us a haun!”
Hae
Have
“I hae tae gang noo.”
Tak
Take
“Tak yer time.”
06
Time & Place
Talk aboot when and whaur
The day
Today
“Whit’s happenin’ the day?”
The morn
Tomorrow
“See ye the morn!”
The nicht
Tonight
“Gaun oot the nicht?”
Hame
Home
“I’m gaun hame noo.”
Ootside
Outside
“It’s cauld ootside.”
Whaur
Where
“Whaur are ye frae?”
Pronunciation Guide
Key Sound Changes:
ou → oo
house → hoose, about → aboot, out → oot
oo → ui
good → guid, book → buik
ow → ae/aw
know → ken (but also: now → noo, how → hoo)
-ing → -in
going → gaun/goin, doing → daein
-ght → silent
night → nicht, right → richt, thought → thocht
Test Yer Knowledge
Quick Quiz
What does “wee” mean in Scots?
Build a Scots Sentence
Drag the words intae the richt order tae form: “How are you doing today?”
How
ye
daein
the
day
?
Drag words here…