Useful Adjectives
Normal form Comparing form
aalin beautiful s'aaley most beautiful
aashag easy sassey easiest
aeg young s'aa youngest
ard high s'yrjey highest
beg small sloo smallest
bog soft s'buiggey softest
bwaagh pretty s'bwaaie prettiest
cheh hot s'choe hottest
chionn tight s'chenney tightest
chiu thick s'chee thickest
faggys near sniessey nearest
foddey far,long sodjey farthest,longest
garroo rough s'girroo roughest
gial bright s'gilley brightest
giare short s'girrey shortest
lajer strong s'troshey strongest
leah soon s'leaie soonest
lhean wide shlea widest
liauyr long,tall s'lhuirey longest
mie good share best
moal poor,slow smelley poorest
mooar large smoo largest
olk bad smessey worst
reagh merry s'reaie merriest
rouyr fat s'riurey fattest
shenn old shinney oldest
thanney thin s'theinney thinnest
trome heavy s'trimmey heaviest
ymmodee many shlee most
To describe something - Place (most) adjectives after the noun. The exceptions
ard
and
shenn
precede the noun. e.g. Honnick mee yn baatey mooar - I saw the big boat.
Hie mee dys y chenn thie - I went to the old house.
To compare two things - Separate the two things by (ny s--- na), where s--- is the
required comparing form of the adjective. Note that some people use the form (ny
s--- ny). The meaning is the same e.g.
Ta Doolish ny smoo na Forsdal - Douglas is larger than Foxdale.
Ta crammag roie ny smelley na mwaagh - A snail runs slower than a hare.
To say something is the most/best/strongest etc - use the comparing form after the
noun. Some people preceed this by (ny) e.g. - V'eh yn doinney share - He was the
best man.
V'ee yn inneen s'bwaaie 'sy theihll - She was the fairest girl in the world.
Va'n inneen ny smessey na'n guilley - The girl was worse than the boy.
Ta mee gaase ny s'troshey - I am growing stronger
Ta shen y fer s'troshey - That is the strongest (one)
N.B. In Manx you must always say what is the strongest / best etc., even if you just
use (one) which translates as (fer).
Useful Adjectives
(Cont.)
You can use (smoo) and (sloo) to say more
or less
in the same way as you can in English, although it is usually more elegant not to.
Note that the normal form of the adjective is used. e.g.
Ta airh ny smoo trome na argid - Gold is more heavy than silver
Ta airh ny s'trimmey na argid - Gold is heavier than silver
Ta argid ny sloo trome na airh - Silver is less heavy than gold
To say something is much more whatever use (lane) followed by the comparing form of
the adjective, and to say something is not much more whatever use (monney) in the
same way. e.g.
Ta mee lane s'aa na Juan - I am much younger than John.
Cha nel eh monney shinney na shen - He is not much older than that.
1) Ta Mannin ny s'aaley na Lerphoyll.
2) Ta Baarle ny sassey na Gaelg.
3) Ta my choirrey ny s'aa na my hie.
4) Vel shen y thie s'yrjey ?
5) Va mee y guilley sloo 'sy scoill. (Va mee my ghuilley sloo ...)
6) Ta'n ooir ny s'buiggey na 'n chreg.
7) Ta Glion Sulby y (fer) s'bwaaie er yn Ellan.
8) Va'n emshyr jiu ny s'choe na jea.
9) Ta'n dorrys shoh ny s'chenney na'n dorrys shen.
10) Ta shoh y lioar s'chee ayns my hie.
11) Ta Balley Chashtal ny sniessey na Doolish.
12) Haink mee ny sodjey na Juan noght.
13) Daag mee y thie lhionney s'girroo 'sy Jiass.
14) Va'n grian gial jiu.
15) Ta dty olt ny s'girrey na my olt.
16) Ta mee ny s'troshey na'n moddey sloo.
17) Bee Juan dy valley ny s'leaie na mish (mee).
18) Ta awin ny shlea na strooan.
19) Ta'n lhong ny s'lhuirey na'n baatey.
20) Ren Pam y tey share.
21) Ta'n cabbyl shen ny smelley na crammag.
22) Va Ned yn guilley smoo 'sy scoill.
23) Ta my voddey ny smessey na dty voddey.
24) Va my voir ny s'reaie na'n moddey ec my charrey.
25) Va'n vuc rouyr dy liooar, shiaghtin er dy henney.
26) Ta Ned ny shinney na mish (mee).
27) Agh ta mee ny s'theinney na Ned.
28) Ta argid ny s'trimmey na ushtey.
29) Ta'n moddey shoh lane share na'n moddey shen.
30) Ta Sniaul lane s'yrjey na Balley Chashtal.
31) Ta'n Thames ny shlea na'n Awin Sulby.
32) Ta'n lessoon shoh lane sassey na'n lessoon shiaghtin shoh chaie.
33) Cha nel mee monney smessey na my charrey.
34) Cha row yn moddey monney sloo na mish (mee).