Hello,
I'm having some trouble understanding how adjectives work in descriptions of any given object in Irish, and I was just wondering if anyone could help as I'm working alone at the moment. I know that normally in most cases the adjective follows the noun - "teach mór" for example. But what I'd like to know is, how are two adjectives used in a phrase. For example, for "big red house" would I say "teach mór dearg", "teach dearg mór" or "dearg teach mór"? What exactly determines the order for multiple adjectives in Irish? For example in English "big red house" would be correct, but "red big house" would not sound right, and I'm trying to get the correct order down in Irish.
Any help would be appreciated...thanks very much in advance,
John

John,
No your perfect. Spot on! Like in English the order of words matters when you want a phrase to sound 'right'.
Teach mór = (A) big house
Teach mór dearg = (A) big red house
No changes because Teach is masculine. But Cloch (stone) is feminine so,
Cloch shneachta = (A) hail-stone Basically 'stone of snow'
sneachtna gets a 'h' added because cloch is feminine
Cloch shneachta mhór = (A) big hail-stone.
I hope this makes sense and answers your question. If not give a buzz,
Go n-éirí leat (Good luck)
Colm.

Cloch shneachta???? An bhfuil tú cinnte?

S followed by n would not be lenited.

Niamh.

Niamh, a chara,

I'm sorry, but I do wish people would check their facts before posting here. I don't know where you get the idea that "sn" would not receive a séimhiú, but reference to any standard dictionary or text book would give the example quoted by Colm above.

I don't wish to sound abrasive or offensive, but please don't make statements without checking your facts first. That sort of thing only goes to add confusion when a student is already struggling.

Le meas,
Larry.

John, a chara,

If I could just add something to Colm's reply in relation to the initial consonant of the adjective being lenited:

Lenition of the adjective occurs in all cases of the plural when the noun it qualifies ends in a slender consonant (one followed or preceded by "i" or "e"). However, if the noun ends in a vowel or broad consonant, there is no lenition. So the plural form (hailstones) would be clocha sneachta (clocha being the plural of cloch).

I hope I haven't confused you?

Le meas,
Larry.