I thought I would start a new thread based on O'Dwyer's question in an earlier thread regarding the phrase "You are nice." As Róman indicated in the Clann thread, the particle "go" is used whenever there is a subjective adjective. So the correct translation of "you are nice" would be "tá tú go deas."

I notice in Ó Siadhail's "Learning Irish" that he indicates that there are about eight adjectives indicating subjective judgement which take the unstressed particle "go," which implies that not all subjective adjectives require the particle "go."

So my first question is what would be an example, if any, of a subjective adjective not requiring the particle "go?" For example, "cute" is subjective, so would it be "tá tú glic" or "tá tú go glic?"

Also, I recall in one of my texts, where the waiter asks the diner whether the meal was good, and the response was "Tá sé maith."

So my second question is, was the omission of "go" just a typo or is there a subtle and allowable difference between "tá sé go maith" (perhaps meaning "it's going well") and "tá sé maith" (meaning "it is good")?

in my book it says only a few adjectives require "goO before them, they are


maith = go maith (good)

olc = go holc (bad)

dona = go dona (bad)

deas = go deas (nice)

álainn = go hálainn (beautiful)

ainnis = go hainnis (awful)

but i have also seen go hiontach (wonderful) in Buntús Cainte, so I'm not sure how complete that list is.

Any corrections?

The book I referd to above is Teach Yourself Irish (Diarmuid Ó Sé, Joseph Shiels)

Is féidir “tá go maith” (alright!) a rá. Féadtar “go maith!” a rá. Táthar in ann “tá sé an-mhaith” (i leaba "go han-mhaith" mar is cóir) a rá i gConamara, go bhfios dhom. Ní dóigh go bhfuiltear i riocht *“tá sé maith” a rá. Ní thaithníonn sé liom ar chor ar bith, ach ní fhéadaim sin a mhíniú, áfach.

go breá, chomh maith

(Message edited by Peter on May 08, 2006)

In the US "cute" means attractive, e.g., a cute child , a cute dress and "glic" wouldn't be the correct word. In Ireland "cute" is used for sly or cunning and "glic" is right. Just so as not to confuse anyone.

A Chróga, you've given us the "core list". The outer boundaries are not entirely fixed, however. You could add "go huafásach" (horrible), for example, and possibly one or two more, depending on the speaker.

I've been wondering...what would be the word for the US "cute"? go deas? that's really just "nice"...

what would a "cute girl" be?

Gleoite

I don't mean to be "cute," but in the U.S. "cute" can also mean clever. See www.dictionary.com for the following definitions of "cute."

1. Delightfully pretty or dainty.
2. Obviously contrived to charm; precious: “ [He] mugs so ferociously he kills the humor it's an insufferably cute performance” (David Ansen).
3. Shrewd; clever.

So, I think when using "cute" to mean "clever," "glic" would be the correct word. But when "cute" is used to mean "attractive", "gleoite" would be the correct word.

Thanks for the clarification Lucy.

Now that I understand the correct usage of "cute" - back to my original question, would it be "Tá tú gleoite" or "Tá tú go gleoite?"

I'm still wondering if ALL subjective adjectives need to be preceded by "go."

Tá tú gleoite! (Is dócha, níl aithne agam ort!)

bean álainn -beautiful woman
ach
spéirbhean - babe

i think

quote:

Tá tú gleoite! (Is dócha, níl aithne agam ort!)

Síltear(?) go bhfuil me dathúil. :)

Regardless of what one thinks (síltear?) about my looks, I wonder if we can add "dathúil" to the growing list of "gan-go" subjective adjectives.

FRC

bean álainn -beautiful woman
ach
spéirbhean - babe

Gabh mo leithscéal, ach céard tá ar "chick" sa nGaeilge? :)

Is iomaí focal ar mná aillé.

Ainnir, spéirbhean, bé, ....


Is iomaí focal ar saghasanna eile mná chomh maith!

Ok... this is probably a really dumb question, but what's a subjective adjective?

quote:

what's a subjective adjective?

It does seem to appear that the phrase "subjective adjective" has a sophisticated linguistic ring to it, which it might, but we're using "subjective" as it relates, for example to the following definition from www.dictionary.com:

Subjective: Proceeding from or taking place in a person's mind rather than the external world: a subjective decision.
Particular to a given person; personal: subjective experience.

So "she is cute" (pretty or clever - take your pick Lucy) would be an example of an subjective adjective, since "cuteness is in the eye of the beholder." :)

So a subjective adjective is an adjective that's an opinion?

Yes, that's the context in which we're using the term.