OK - it's a good question.

cúramach - is the ordinary adjective (careful)
cúramaí - is the comparative (meaning - the version used to compare things - "more careful")

Actually, the "more X" forms are identical to the forms used in the feminine genitive.

The way it should work is that the ending is -ch, which slenderises in certain case to -igh. Gh is the slender equivalent of ch, with glide vowels required to show the slender quality.

For example: coileach becomes coiligh in the plural.

The dative singular feminine is a slenderised version of the adjective: cúramaigh. And the genitive singular just adds -e onto the dative: cúramaighe.

So you should have:

Nominative (the ordinary form of the work): bean chúramach, "a careful woman"
Genitive (saying "of" usually): mná cúramaighe, "of a careful woman".
Dative (used after prepositions like 'do'): do mhnaoi chúramaigh, "to a careful woman".

Then the form used to compare things (the comparative) is identical to the feminine genitive form: níos cúramaighe.

Only, because the pronunciation of -aighe is aí, they made that the new spelling, despite the fact it wasn't irregular to begin with.

Eg aigne na mná cúramaí "the mind of the careful woman". Bí níos cúramaí, "be more careful".

You don't say "níos mó cúramaí", because you use níos + the correct adjective you want.

Níos mó: means "more", where mó is a comparing word (the comparative of mór)
Níos lú: "less", where lú is a form of beag.
Níos cúramaí: "more careful"
Níos áille: "more beautiful".

There is one more form: superlative (saying "most"): an bhean is cúramach - the most careful woman. An bhean is áille - the most beautiful woman. These use "is" and not "níos".

Understood most of that I think. 'Is' I already knew. Níos mó and Níos fear etc. I actually knew but slipped up

So i could say for example: Caith tú a bheith cúramach - You have to be careful. Or I could say: Caith tú a bheith níos cúramaí. - You have to be more careful.

Or: Tá ort a bheith níos cúramaí.

Oh and just a quick question on that while I am at it. The 'caith' version of the above sentence - would that be seen as a passing comment as opposed to the 'Tá ort' version of the same sentence being to convey to someone they have a responsibility to be careful? Or are they just both the same?

I don't think there is much difference - but I will be interested to see if the forum regulars have a comment to make. Caitheann tú (not caith tú) means "you must". Tá ort - means "you have to". Is there much of a difference between those in English?

I don't think "a" is needed before bheith here. "to be" is just bheith in Irish. Caitheann tú bheith níos cúramaí.

There is one more form: superlative (saying "most"): an bhean is cúramach - the most careful woman. An bhean is áille - the most beautiful woman. These use "is" and not "níos".

(duine or other noun) is cúramaí: most careful

Inconsistency alert! ;-)



I'm guessing that the second is correct, and that Irish (like Scottish Gaelic and French, Spanish etc) uses the same adjective form for both comparative and superlative degrees...?

Cén fath tú ag usáid an fochal Gaelainn in ionaid an fochal Geailge? Is cuimheann liom go bhfuil bhí muid go raibh i gconnaí
ag usáid an fochal Geailge nuair a bhí mé sa scoil.

Why are you using the word Gaelainn instead of the word Geailge?

I am glad you cleared up that 'bheith' problem as that always puzzled me as to why it did not come at the end of the sentence. For example: Rith mé sa bhaile do mo dhinear a h'ithe.

a h'ithe comes at the end of the sentence. I always thought 'a bheith' for some reason acted differently but now you tell me it is not 'a bheith' but actually bheith on its own.