Comparison

Irish adjectives change their form to show comparison, such as ‘bigger’ or ‘best’. This system is different from English. Irish uses a single form for both the comparative (‘-er’) and superlative (‘-est’), and has separate dedicated structures for ‘as big as’ (the equative) and ‘too big’ (the excessive).

Degrees of Comparison

There are two main degrees of comparison used in modern Irish.

• The Positive (an bhunchéim): This is the basic form of the adjective as you would find it in a dictionary. It describes a quality without comparing it to anything else.
• The Comparative (an bhreischéim): This form is used to compare two things. Importantly, depending on the sentence structure, this same form also expresses the superlative (‘-est’).

Forming the Comparative

The comparative form of an adjective is always used with a particle like níos or is as part of a copula sentence.

Regular Forms

First Declension

• Adjectives ending in a consonant are slenderised (palatalised) and take an -e ending.
  • ban -> baine (more feminine)
  • glic -> glice (cleverer)
  • ramhar -> raimhre (fatter)
• Adjectives ending in -ach or -each take the ending -aí or -í.
  • aisteach -> aistí (stranger)
  • salach -> salaí (dirtier)
• Adjectives ending in -mhar or -far become -mhaire or -faire in the standard language.
  • greannmhar -> greannmhaire (funnier)

Second Declension

• Adjectives ending in -úil are broadened (depalatalised) and take an -a ending, resulting in -úla.
  • spéisiúil -> spéisiúla (more interesting)
• Adjectives ending in -ir are broadened and take an -a ending, resulting in -ra. If polysyllabic, the middle syllable is often dropped (syncopated).
  • deacair -> deacra (more difficult)
  • cóir -> córa (fairer)

Third Declension

• In Standard Irish, adjectives ending in a vowel do not change their form for the comparative.
  • dorcha -> dorcha (darker)
  • beo -> beo (more alive)
  • aosta -> aosta (older)
• An exception is nua (new), which becomes nuaí.

Irregular Forms

A small number of very common adjectives have irregular comparative forms.

Special Constructions

Using mó and lú for Emphasis

The words mó (more) and lú (less) can be used with another adjective to add emphasis, similar to “more” and “less” in English. This is especially useful for adjectives whose comparative form is the same as the positive (e.g., dorcha).

With an Adjective

This construction uses a double copula: is mó is...

This structure can soften a statement, especially with lú.

• Is lú is sean - He is less old / not so old.

It can also be used with other comparatives.

• Is fearr is cuimhin liom é - I remember it better.

With a Noun

The structure is mó / lú + Noun creates a superlative meaning, literally “of greatest…”. The noun is in the nominative case.

More examples:

• na hoibrithe is lú pá - the lowest-paid workers (lit. the workers of least pay)
• na hailt is mó léamh - the most-read articles (using a verbal noun)

This construction is not limited to mó and lú.

• an té is fearr eolas - the one with the best knowledge (lit. the one of best knowledge)

The -de Suffix: “All the more”

The suffix -de can be added to a comparative form to mean “all the more” or “the…the…”. It derives from the prepositional pronoun de (de + é), meaning “by it” or “because of it”.

• fearr -> fearrde (all the better)
• mó -> móide (all the more/bigger)
• lú -> lúide (all the less/smaller)
• measa -> miste (all the worse)

The cause or reason for the comparison follows in the sentence.

• Is fearrde duine gáire - Laughter does a person good (lit. A person is all the better for laughter).
• Ní troimide an loch an lacha - The lake is not any heavier for the duck.
• Is fearrde thú Guinness - You are all the better for Guinness.

This form has several common idiomatic uses:

• Ní miste liom é - I don’t mind it (lit. It is not all the worse with me).
• Ní móide go rachfaidh mé - It is unlikely that I will go.

The forms móide and lúide are also used for “plus” and “minus” in arithmetic.

• a dó móide a ceathair - two plus four
• lúide deich bpunt - minus ten pounds

Today, “the…the…” constructions more commonly use is ea is... or is amhlaidh is....

• Dá shaibhre iad is ea is fearr iad - The richer they are, the better they are.
• Is amhlaidh is fearr é - It is all the better.

Using the Comparative in Sentences

The comparative form is purely predicative (“The man is taller”). It cannot be used attributively (“the taller man”) without a special structure like a relative clause.

Predicative Usage

This describes the subject of the sentence, as in “I am taller.”

Dependent Comparison (with ná)

When a comparison partner is mentioned, it is introduced by the conjunction ná (than).

With the copula is/ba:

With the verb bí (tá, bhí, etc.): The particle níos (present) or ní ba (past) is used. Níos is a contraction of ní is (“a thing that is”).

Independent Comparison (without ná)

When no comparison partner is mentioned (“The weather is warmer”), the structure remains the same, but sentences with bí and níos are more common than simple copula sentences.

• Tá an aimsir níos teo inniu - The weather is warmer today.
• Bhí an ghrian ní ba ghile inné - The sun was brighter yesterday.

Other Predicative Constructions

• To get/become + comparative: Use the verb éirigh (to rise) with níos.
  • D’éirigh an aimsir níos teo - The weather got warmer.
  • Bhí an bóthar ag éirí níos dorcha - The road was getting darker and darker.
• Much/far + comparative: Use cuid mhaith, go mór, or i bhfad.
  • Tá sé i bhfad níos measa - It is far worse.
• A little + comparative: Use beagán, pas beag, or rud beag.
  • Tá sé beagán níos airde - It is a little higher.
• Expressing the extent of difference:
  1. State the amount before níos: Bhí sé deich mbliana ní b’óige ná í - He was ten years younger than her.
  2. State the amount after the comparative, using the preposition de (by): Tá sé níos sine de chúig bliana - He is five years older.
• Multiplicative difference (“three times older”):
  • Tá sé seacht n-uaire níos airde - It is seven times higher.
  • Tá sé seacht n-uaire chomh hard - It is seven times as high. (Using the equative)

Attributive Usage

To say “a better car” or “the tallest man”, Irish uses relative clauses, as the comparative form cannot directly modify a noun.

Indefinite Noun

For an indefinite noun (“a better car”), you can use níos.

• Ba mhaith liom carr níos fearr - I would like a better car.

Alternatively, you can use a copula sentence with the preposition de.

• Is fearr de bhia é ná cál - It is a better food than cabbage (lit. is better of a food it than…).

Definite Noun (Comparative and Superlative)

For a definite noun (“the taller/tallest man”), you must use a copula relative clause. The context determines whether the meaning is comparative or superlative.

• an fear is mó - the taller man OR the tallest man

• Comparative meaning: A comparison partner with ná is present.

  • an fear is mó ná mise - the man who is taller than I am.

• Superlative meaning: No ná. Instead, a group is defined with a preposition like de (of), i (in), or ar (on).

  • an fear is mó de na daoine - the tallest man of the people.
  • an cailín is áille in Éirinn - the most beautiful girl in Ireland.
  • an fear is mó ar fad - by far the tallest man.

• With possessive pronouns: You cannot say *ár dteach is mó. You must use a relative clause with ag.

  • an teach is mó atá againn - our biggest house.

• “Second tallest”: Use an dara before the noun.

  • an dara fear is mó - the second tallest man.

Adverbial Usage

This describes how an action is performed, as in “He runs faster.”

Comparative Adverbs

In a main clause, use níos + comparative.

• Ritheann Seán níos luaithe - Seán runs faster.

Alternatively, use a copula sentence where the rest of the sentence becomes a relative clause.

• Is luaithe a ritheann Seán - Seán runs faster (lit. It is faster that Seán runs).

Superlative Adverbs

To say “Seán runs fastest,” you must use a special construction.

1. Double Relative Clause: An identification sentence where both the comparative and the verb are in relative clauses.
   • Is é Seán is luaithe a ritheann - Seán runs fastest (lit. It is Seán who is fastest who runs).
2. Verbal Noun Construction: The second relative clause is replaced by a verbal noun.
   • Is é Seán is luaithe rith - Seán runs fastest (lit. It is Seán who is of fastest running).

The Equative: “As… as”

The equative (an chéim chothroim) expresses equality, like “as tall as”. It is formed with chomh (as) before the adjective and le (with, meaning ‘as’) after it.

• Tá sé chomh mór le Pól - He is as big as Paul.

Chomh adds an h-prefix to adjectives starting with a vowel.

• Tá sí chomh hard le Pól - She is as tall as Paul.

If the comparison is with a clause instead of a noun, use agus or is (and) instead of le.

• Tá sé chomh mór agus a bhí sé - He is as big as he was.

To ask “how big…?”, use cé chomh.

• Cé chomh mór is atá sé? - How big is he?

To use the equative attributively (“as good a man”), the structure chomh + adjective follows the noun.

• Is fear chomh maith leat é - He is as good a man as you.

The Excessive: “Too…”

The excessive (an chéim iomarcach) expresses an excess of a quality, like “too big”. It is usually formed with the prefix ró- (too), which causes lenition.

• rómhór - too big
• róshean - too old
• ró-ard - too high (hyphenated before a vowel)

There are alternative, more idiomatic ways to express “too…”:

• Copula + le/do: This construction is very common, especially with mór (big/much) and beag (small/little). le expresses a personal opinion, while do is more objective.
  • Is fada liom an scannán - I find the film too long (lit. The film is long with me).
  • Is mór liom é - I think it’s too much.
  • Is beag liom é - I think it’s too little.
• Idioms with mór and beag:
  • Ní mór dom imeacht - I must leave (lit. It is not too much for me to leave).
  • Ní beag sin - That is enough (lit. That is not too little).