Editing Irish declension (section)

===Comparative===
Irish adjectives have a [[comparative]] form equivalent to the comparative and [[superlative]] in English. The comparative does not undergo inflexion and is the same as the feminine singular genitive in regular and many irregular adjectives.

====Regular formation====
{|class="wikitable"
! Base form || Comparative form || Gloss
|-
| {{lang|ga|álainn}} || {{lang|ga|áille}} || "beautiful/more beautiful"
|-
| {{lang|ga|bacach}} || {{lang|ga|bacaí}} || "lame/lamer"
|-
| {{lang|ga|bocht}} || {{lang|ga|boichte}} || "poor/poorer"
|-
| {{lang|ga|ciúin}} || {{lang|ga|ciúine}} || "quiet/quieter"
|-
| {{lang|ga|cóir}} || {{lang|ga|córa}} || "just/more just"
|-
| {{lang|ga|crua}} || {{lang|ga|crua}} || "hard/harder"
|-
| {{lang|ga|deacair}} || {{lang|ga|deacra}} || "difficult/more difficult"
|-
| {{lang|ga|gearr}} || {{lang|ga|giorra}} || "short/shorter"
|-
| {{lang|ga|misniúil}} || {{lang|ga|misniúla}} || "brave/braver"
|-
| {{lang|ga|socair}} || {{lang|ga|socra}} || "still/stiller"
|-
| {{lang|ga|tapaidh}} || {{lang|ga|tapaí}} || "fast/faster"
|-
| {{lang|ga|tirim}} || {{lang|ga|tirime}} || "dry/drier"
|}

====Irregular forms====
{|class="wikitable"
! Base form || Comparative form || Gloss
|-
| {{lang|ga|beag}} || {{lang|ga|lú}} || "small/smaller"
|-
| {{lang|ga|breá}} || {{lang|ga|breátha}} || "fine/finer"
|-
| {{lang|ga|dócha}} || {{lang|ga|dóichí}} || "possible/more possible"
|-
| {{lang|ga|fada}} || {{lang|ga|faide}} || "long/longer"
|-
| {{lang|ga|fogus}} || {{lang|ga|foisce}} || "near/nearer"
|-
| {{lang|ga|furasta}} || {{lang|ga|fusa}} || "easy/easier"
|-
| {{lang|ga|iomaí}} || {{lang|ga|lia}} || "many/more"
|-
| {{lang|ga|ionúin}} || {{lang|ga|ansa}} || "beloved, dear/more beloved, dearer"
|-
| {{lang|ga|maith}} || {{lang|ga|fearr}} || "good/better"
|-
| {{lang|ga|olc}} || {{lang|ga|measa}} || "bad/worse"
|-
| {{lang|ga|te}} || {{lang|ga|teo}} || "hot/hotter"
|-
| {{lang|ga|tréan}} || {{lang|ga|tréine}} ''or'' {{lang|ga|treise}} || "strong/stronger"
|-
| {{lang|ga|mór}} || {{lang|ga|mó}} || "big/bigger"
|}

====Syntax of comparison====
There are two constructions to express the comparative:

1) Copula + comparative form + subject + {{lang|ga|ná}} ("than") + predicate. The preterite of the copula causes lenition, while the present tense does not.

*{{lang|ga|Ba thréine Cáit ná Cathal.}} "Cáit was stronger than Cathal."
*{{lang|ga|Is airde Seán ná mise.}} "Seán is bigger than me."
*{{lang|ga|B'óige an madra ná an cat.}} "The dog was younger than the cat."
*{{lang|ga|Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Béarla cliste.}} "Broken Irish is better than clever English."

2) {{lang|ga|níos/ní ba/ní b’}} + comparative + {{lang|ga|ná}} + predicate. {{lang|ga|Níos}} is used if the sentence is in the present or future tense.

{{lang|ga|Ní ba/ní b’}}, which triggers lenition, is used if the sentence is in the past tense. {{lang|ga|Ní b’}} is used before words starting with vowels and {{lang|ga|ní ba}} before those starting with consonants.

*{{lang|ga|Tá an ghrian níos gile ná an ghealach.}} "The sun is brighter than the moon."
*{{lang|ga|Beidh Peadar níos saibhre ná a athair.}} "Peadar will be richer than his father."
*{{lang|ga|D'éirigh Peadar ní ba shaibhre ná a athair.}} "Peadar became richer than his father."
*{{lang|ga|Bhí Seán ní b’airde ná mise.}} "Seán was bigger than me."

A superlative is expressed as a relative clause: noun + {{lang|ga|is/ba/ab}} + comparative form.

*{{lang|ga|an cailín is tréine}} "the strongest girl" (lit. "the girl who is the strongest")
*{{lang|ga|an cailín ba thréine}} "the strongest girl" (lit. "the girl who was/would be the strongest")
*{{lang|ga|an buachaill is óige}} "the youngest boy" (lit. "the boy who is the youngest")
*{{lang|ga|an buachaill ab óige}} "the youngest boy" (lit. "the boy who was/would be the youngest")