We know the word comórtas best as referring to a “competition”, but it can also be used in place of “compare” or “comparison”, depending on how you want to phrase it.
Comórtas a dhéanamh idir úll agus péitseog
To make a comparison between an apple and a peach
Torthaí a chur i gcomórtas le chéile
To put fruit in comparison with each other
To compare fruit
Ní comórtas úll le phéitseog
An apple is not comparable to a peach
Ní comórtas ar bith dó iad
They are not comparable to it
Sometimes, it’s just not possible to make a comparison to a single noun, rather to an entire phrase. Before we jump into this, you may want to revisit relative clauses:
Introduction: Whom’st’ve 1
Everything related to the Relative Clause
In case you choose not to, though, a quick recap: a relative clause is used when we use words such as who, which and that. So, for example:
Tá an bia níos measa anseo ná mar atá sé tigh Thaidhg
The food is worse here than it is at Tadhg’s
Tá an aimsir níos fearr i mbliana ná mar a bhí sí anuraidh
The weather is better this year than it was last year
What we notice when we have phrases is that ná is often followed by mar and a relative clause.
And again, I’ll highlight the relative clauses by rephrasing the sentences above:
The food is worse here than that which is at Tadhg’s
The weather is better this year than that of last year’s
However, mar is optional:
Cheap mé go raibh an scannán níos fearr ná a dúirt na léirmheasanna.
I thought the film was better than the reviews said
And highlighting the relative clause:
I thought the film was better than what the reviews said
Revisiting Equality
From Comparatives 3: Equality, we know that chomh is used for as X as Y, with the form chomh Y le X. However, with phrases, we pair chomh with is.
Níl an capall sin chomh scioptha is a bhí sé
That horse isn’t as fast as he was
Níl mé ag iarraidh fanacht ann chomh fada is atá tusa
I don’t want to stay there as long as you do
Try it
Translate the following:
1. Stiofán is thinner than he was.
2. It’s not as hot as it was yesterday.
3. Beef there is tastier than it is at Ciarán’s.
4. I won’t stay as long as you will.
Hover below for answers
1. Tá Stiofán níos tanaí ná mar a bhí sé.
2. Níl sé chomh te is a bhí sé inné.
3. Tá mairteoil ansin níos blasta ná mar atá siad tigh Chiaráin.
4. Ní bheidh mé ag fanacht chomh fada is a bheidh tusa.
Last time on Comparatives, we learnt how to alter adjectives for comparatives and superlatives. We know how to express that Cuán is younger than Áine:
Tá Cuán níos óige ná Áine
However, when we want to emphasise that Cuán is younger than Áine, we have to use the copula. Here are two posts you might like to recap on:
Emphatic Forms 2: Sentence Construction
Masterpost: When to Use the Copula
Now, with that fresh in mind, compare the following pairs:
Tá Cuán níos óige ná Áine
Cuan is younger than Áine
Is óige Cuán ná Áine
Cuán is younger than Áine
Níos is dropped in the copula form. This form is most often seen in seanfhocail:
Is measa na mná ná an t-ól
When the comparative sticks
Another important occasion where níos is dropped is if the sentence has the comparative (poorer) lumped together with the compared (people). Compare these two sentences:
Tá daoine níos boichte ná Pól
There are people poorer than Paul
Feicfidh tú daoine is boichte ná Pól
You’ll see poorer people than Paul
Try it
Translate the following:
1. My father is stronger than your father.
2. I am the youngest person in the family.
3. This question is better than the other question.
Hover below for answers
1. Is láidre m'athair ná d'athair.
2. Is mise an duine is óige sa teaghlach.
3. Is fearr an cheist seo ná an cheist eile.
We know the word comórtas best as referring to a “competition”, but it can also be used in place of “compare” or “comparison”, depending on how you want to phrase it.
Comórtas a dhéanamh idir úll agus péitseog
To make a comparison between an apple and a peach
Torthaí a chur i gcomórtas le chéile
To put fruit in comparison with each other
To compare fruit
Ní comórtas úll le phéitseog
An apple is not comparable to a peach
Ní comórtas ar bith dó iad
They are not comparable to it
Sometimes, it’s just not possible to make a comparison to a single noun, rather to an entire phrase. Before we jump into this, you may want to revisit relative clauses:
Introduction: Whom’st’ve 1
Everything related to the Relative Clause
In case you choose not to, though, a quick recap: a relative clause is used when we use words such as who, which and that. So, for example:
Tá an bia níos measa anseo ná mar atá sé tigh Thaidhg
The food is worse here than it is at Tadhg’s
Tá an aimsir níos fearr i mbliana ná mar a bhí sí anuraidh
The weather is better this year than it was last year
What we notice when we have phrases is that ná is often followed by mar and a relative clause.
And again, I’ll highlight the relative clauses by rephrasing the sentences above:
The food is worse here than that which is at Tadhg’s
The weather is better this year than that of last year’s
However, mar is optional:
Cheap mé go raibh an scannán níos fearr ná a dúirt na léirmheasanna.
I thought the film was better than the reviews said
And highlighting the relative clause:
I thought the film was better than what the reviews said
Revisiting Equality
From Comparatives 3: Equality, we know that chomh is used for as X as Y, with the form chomh Y le X. However, with phrases, we pair chomh with is.
Níl an capall sin chomh scioptha is a bhí sé
That horse isn’t as fast as he was
Níl mé ag iarraidh fanacht ann chomh fada is atá tusa
I don’t want to stay there as long as you do
Try it
Translate the following:
1. Stiofán is thinner than he was.
2. It’s not as hot as it was yesterday.
3. Beef there is tastier than it is at Ciarán’s.
4. I won’t stay as long as you will.
Hover below for answers
1. Tá Stiofán níos tanaí ná mar a bhí sé.
2. Níl sé chomh te is a bhí sé inné.
3. Tá mairteoil ansin níos blasta ná mar atá siad tigh Chiaráin.
4. Ní bheidh mé ag fanacht chomh fada is a bheidh tusa.
