10-04 Comparison of Adjectives

MT 10-04 Comparison of adjectives

Grammar

Comparison of adjectives

We have three degrees of comparison:

(a) “As big as”

(b) “Bigger than”

(a) How to say “as big as” (etc)

When we compare two nouns we use

chomh … le

Tá Seán chomh láidir le Séamus Sean is as strong as Séamus

[Seán is equally strong with Séamus]

Many of these phrases – known as ‘similes’ are ‘stock phrases’ in any language. They are not always the same between English and Irish.

In english we say, ‘as strong as a bull’; but in Irish we say:–

as [strong] as a horse chomh láidir le capall.

as white as milk chomh bán le bainne

as tall as a tree chomh hard le crann

as yellow as gold chomh buí le hór

Remember that both chomh and le take lómú.

When we complete the comparison with a clause (i.e. using a verb) we use

chomh … agus

Nóra was as friendly as I said Bhí Nóra chomh cairdiúil agus a dúirt mé

Pól was not as strong as he is now Ní raibh Pól chomh láidir agus atá sé anois

Will the exam be as severe as it was last year?

An mbeidh an scrúdú comh dian agus a bhí se anuraidh?

In English it is allowable to say either, ‘as tall as I am’ or ‘as tall as me’. The first of the two is thought of as ‘better English’ because the ideas are better connected. That is how we say it in Irish:–

He is as tall as I am. Tá sé chomh hard agus atáim.

She was as pretty as you were. Bhí sí chomh deas agus a bhí tú.

There is a neat way in Irish to say that two things, or people, are “as good (etc) as each other”:

Cormac and Siobhán are of the same age

Tá Cormac agus Siobhán ar comhaois

Flann and Rory are the same height

Tá Flann agus Ruairi ar comh-airde

The two teams still had the same score

Bhí an dá fhoireann ar chomhscór fós

Exercises

A. Gaelige –> Béarla 1. Bhí sé chomh geal leis an ngrian. 2. Bhí an fear chomh dubh le gual. 3. Bhí an t-éadach chomh bán le sneachta. 4. Tá sé chomh láidir le capall. 5. Bhí an deoch chomh milis le mil. 6. Tá an teach againn/ár dteach chomh hard leis an gceann sin. 7. Tá sé chomh mór le fathach. 8. Ní bheidh sí chomh hard le hÚna. 9. Tá an gairdín againn/ár ngairdín chomh mór leis an ngort sin/leis an bpáirc sin.

A. English –> Irish 1. It was as bright as the sun. 2. The man was as black as coal. 3. The cloth was as white as snow. 4. He is as strong as a horse. 5. The drink was as sweet as honey. 6. Our house is as high as that one. 7. He is as big as a giant. 8. She will not be as tall as Una. 9. Our garden is as big as that field.

Vocabulary - Irish similes

Here are a dozen of the traditional similes of Irish. Notice that some are different from English. If you use them in conversation or essays you will show you are really thinking in Irish!

chomh láidir le capall as strong as a horse

chomh dearg le fuil as red as blood

chomh bán le bainne as white as milk

chomh milis le mil as sweet as honey

chomh bodhar le slis as deaf as a stone

chomh beag le dreolín as tiny as a wren

chomh crosta le mála easóg as cross as a bag of weasels

chomh beo le breac as lively as a trout

chomh bithiúnta le cat as mischievous as a cat

chomh díreach le feá as straight as a beech tree

chomh cinnte is atá gob ar ghé as sure as there’s a beak on a goose

chomh bródúil le cat dhá-eirbeall as proud as a cat with two tails

However, in the Irish language it is appreciated if we are a little inventive. We are not expected to stick to “the old set phrases”. You might like to try making up your own!

Exercises

B. Gaelige –> Béarla 1. Chomh láidir le capall 2. Chomh bán le bainne 3. Chomh beo le breac 4. Chomh dearg le fuil 5. Chomh milis le mil 6. Chomh bodhar le slis 7. Chomh bithiúnta le cat 8. Chomh crosta le mála easóg 9. Chomh cinnte is atá gob ar ghé 10. Chomh beag le dreolín 11. Chomh díreach le feá 12. Chomh bródúil le cat dhá-eirbeall

B. English –> Irish 1. As strong as a horse 2. As white as milk 3. As lively as a trout 4. As red as blood 5. As sweet as honey 6. As deaf as a stone 7. As mischievous as a cat 8. As cross as a bag of weasels 9. As sure as there’s a beak on a goose 10. As tiny as a wren 11. As straight as a beech tree 12. As proud as a cat with two tails.

(b) How to say “Bigger than” (the Comparative)

In English, there are two ways to make the comparative: big – bigger (from Anglo-Saxon) or Beautiful – more beautiful (from Old French).

Also, as usual, some of the more common (or commonest!) words are irregular: good – better; bad – worse; etc. This is the case in Irish also.

Regular Comparison: The comparative is in the same form as the genitive feminine singular.

So for

Type 1 & 2 adjectives ending in a consonant), we add -e

high ard, higher airde/aoirde

For endings in -ach, we add -aí

(in the older spelling it was -aiche, then -aighe)

polite béasach, more polite béasaí.

Type 3 adjectives add -a

manly fearúil, more manly fearúla

colourful dathúil, more colourful athúla

Only four words not ending in -úil add -a. Here they are:

right, fitting cóir, more right, more fitting córa

fine breá finer breatha

difficult deacair more difficult deacra

easy socair easier socra

Type 4 adjectives (ending in a vowel) do not change:

dark dorcha darker dorcha

The following longer words are shortened by dropping vowels

(only the basic form of the English is given):

low íseal ísle

noble uasal uaisle

beautiful álainn áille

secure daingean daingne

deep domhain doimhne

tough righin righne

pleasant aoibhinn aoibhne

poor (in money) daibhir daibhre

rich saibhir saibhre

gloomy doilbhir doilbhre

cheerful soilbhir soilbhre

strong láidir láidre

fat ramhar ramhra

dear, loyal dílis dílse

sweet milis milse

empty folamh folmha

deaf bodhar bodhra

smooth, slippery sleamhaine sleamhna

Exercises

C. Gaelige –> Béarla 1. Tá sé seo dubh, ach níl sé níos duibhe ná é sin.

2. Tá sé seo géar, ach níl sé níos géire ná é sin.

3. Tá sé seo greannmhar, ach níl sé níos greannmhaire ná é sin.

4. Tá sé seo tábhachtach, ach níl sé níos tábhachtaí ná é sin.

5. Tá sé tuirseach, ach níl sé níos tuirsí ná Colm.

6. Tá Úna seo imníoch, ach níl sé níos imníche ná Cáit.

7. Tá sé seo spleách, ach níl sé níos spleáiche ná é sin.

8. Tá sé seo glic, ach níl sé níos glice ná é sin.

9. Tá sé seo spreagúil, ach níl sé níos spreagúla ná é sin.

10. Tá sé seo crua, ach níl sé níos crua ná é sin.

C. English –> Irish 1. This is black, but it is not blacker that. 2.This is sour, but it is not more sour than that. 3. This is funny, but it is not funnier than that. 4. This is important, but it is not more important than that. 5. He is tired, but he is not more tired than Colm. 6. Una is anxious, but she is not more anxious than Kate. 7. This is dependent, but it is not more dependent than that. 8. This is clever, but it is not cleverer than that. 9. This is encouraging, but it is not encouraging than that. 10. This is hard, but it is not harder than that.

Here are the irregular adjectives

(only the basic form of the English is given):

high ard aoirde/airde

small beag lú

fine breá breatha

long fada sia, faide

easy furasta fusa

short gearr giorra

good maith fearr

often minic minicí

big mór mó

bad olc measa

warm te teo

dry tirim trioma

strong tréan treise

Putting into a sentence:

We can use either is or tá.

Comparing two nouns:

Cork is warmer than Donegal

Is teo Corcaigh ná Dún na nGall;

Bíonn Corcaigh níos teo ná Dún na nGall

Brian is taller than Kate

Is aoirde Briain ná Cáit;

Tá Briain níos aoirde ná Cáit.

“Níos” is short for ní is - “a thing that is”. so it has a different form in the past tense :

ní ba – “a thing that was”.

Donegal was warmer than Cork last year

Ba theo Dún na nGall ná Corcaigh anuraidh.

Bhí Dún na nGall ní ba theo ná Corcaigh anuraidh.

Brian was taller than Kate

B’aoirde Briain ná Cáit; Bhí Briain ní b’aoirde ná Cáit

Exercises

D. Gaelige –> Béarla

1. Is lú Máire ná Úna. 2. Is mó ná Sinéad í. 3. Is sia (nó Is faide) an peann luaithe ná an ceann sin. 4. Is giorra an lá ná an oíche. 5. Is measa an rang sin ná an ceann seo. 6. Táimid níos fearr ná iad. 7. Tá oráistí nIos deise ná liomóid. 8. Tá Seán níos aoirde ná mise. 9. Tá an Spainne níos teo ná Éire. 10. Tá an Lochlann níos fuaire ná an Iodáil.

D. English –> Irish

Translate into Irish using “Is” sentences:

1.Mary is smaller than Una. 2. She is bigger than Sinéad. 3. This pencil is longer than that one. 4. The day is shorter than the night. 5. The other class is worse than this one.

Translate into Irish using “Tá” sentences:

6. We are better than they (iad). 7. Oranges are nicer than lemons. 8. John is taller than I. 9. Spain is warmer than Ireland. 10. Denmark is colder in the summer than Italy.

D. 1. John was the biggest boy in the room. 2. The rose is the nicest flower in the garden. 3. You are not the smallest girl in the school. 4. February is the shortest month in the year. 5. Una is the tallest girl here. 6. Thomas was not the tallest boy in the house. 7. The Shannon is the longest river in Ireland. 8. Mary is the best pupil in the class. 9. Jean was the worst pupil a short time ago.

Completing the sentence with a clause (i.e. including a verb) :

For “than” use “ná mar a” :

The Summer is warmer than it was last year

Is teo an Samhradh ná mar a bhí sé anuraidh;

Tá an Samhradh níos teo ná mar a bhí sé anuraidh.

How to say “the biggest” etc. (the Superlative)

Unlike in English, Irish uses the same word for comparative and superlative. To express the superlative, we use a sentence with is:

Seán is the oldest Is é Seán an té is sine

The oldest man An fear is sine

That is what they like best Sin é is fearr leo

Morag is the best girl in the class Is í Mórag an cailín is fearr sa rang.

Exercises

C. Gaelige –> Béarla

1. Is lú Máire ná Úna. 2. Is mó ná Sinéad í. 3. Is sia (nó Is faide) an peann luaithe ná an ceann sin. 4. Is giorra an lá ná an oíche. 5. Is measa an rang sin ná an ceann seo. 6. Táimidne níos fearr ná mar atá siadsan. 7. Tá oráistí nIos deise ná liomóid. 8. Tá Seán níos aoirde ná mise. 9. Tá an Spainne níos teo ná Éire. 10. Tá an Lochlann níos fuaire ná an Iodáil.

C. English –> Irish Translate into Irish using “Is” sentences:

1.Mary is smaller than Una. 2. She is bigger than Sinéad. 3. This pencil is longer than that one. 4. The day is shorter than the night. 5. The other class is worse than this one.

Translate into Irish using “Tá” sentences:

6. We are better than they are. 7. Oranges are nicer than lemons. 8. John is taller than I. 9. Spain is warmer than Ireland. 10. Denmark is colder in the summer than Italy.

MT 10–04 Comparison of adjectives