Expressing Opinions and Preferences in Irish

In Brief

Irish commonly expresses opinions with ceapaim go... (“I think that...”) and is dóigh liom go... (“I suppose/think that...”). Likes and preferences use the copula is with a form of le: is maith liom (“I like”), is fearr liom (“I prefer”), and is fuath liom (“I hate”). Learn these as complete patterns rather than translating English word by word.

Overview

At A2, you need more than labels such as “good” or “bad”: you need to say that something is good in your view, that you like it, or that you prefer it to something else. Irish does this through several highly reusable structures. Some use an ordinary verb, especially ceapaim (“I think”); others use the copula is, the short linking word introduced in expressions such as is múinteoir mé (“I am a teacher”).

The biggest difference from English is that Irish often does not make the person who feels something the grammatical subject (the person or thing that controls the verb). In is maith liom tae, the literal structure is closer to “tea is good with me” than to “I like tea.” The word liom combines the preposition le (“with”) and mé (“me/I”). This is called a prepositional pronoun: one word that combines a preposition with a person.

For a beginner, the practical solution is simple: treat is maith liom, is fearr liom, and is fuath liom as ready-made frames. Once the frame feels familiar, you can change liom to show who likes, prefers, or hates something and add a clause after ceapaim go or is dóigh liom go to give a fuller opinion.

How It Works

Saying “I think”: ceapaim go...

Ceapaim is the first-person present form of ceap (“think, suppose”). Follow it with go (“that”) and a clause (a group of words containing its own verb):

Ceapaim + go + clause

• Ceapaim go bhfuil sé go maith. — I think it is good.
• Ceapaim go n-oibríonn sí anseo. — I think she works here.

The word after go may change at its beginning. With the verb bí (“be”), the present dependent form is bhfuil, so “that ... is” is go bhfuil, not go tá. With many other present-tense verbs, go causes eclipsis, a change in which another consonant is placed before the original first consonant: oibríonn becomes go n-oibríonn.

You do not need to invent every mutation while speaking. First learn frequent chunks such as go bhfuil (“that ... is”), go mbeidh (“that ... will be”), and go raibh (“that ... was”).

To change the thinker, conjugate ceap:

Person	Irish	English
I	ceapaim	I think
you (singular)	ceapann tú	you think
he	ceapann sé	he thinks
she	ceapann sí	she thinks
we	ceapaimid	we think
you (plural)	ceapann sibh	you think
they	ceapann siad	they think

A softer opinion: is dóigh liom go...

Is dóigh liom go... means “I think that...,” “I suppose that...,” or “I reckon that....” It often sounds less direct or less certain than ceapaim go..., although the two overlap in everyday use.

Is dóigh + le-form + go + clause

• Is dóigh liom go bhfuil sé ceart. — I suppose it is correct.
• Is dóigh léi go mbeidh sé réidh amárach. — She thinks it will be ready tomorrow.

Here liom identifies the person whose opinion it is. The useful forms of le are:

Person	Form of le	In the opinion pattern
me	liom	is dóigh liom — I think/suppose
you (singular)	leat	is dóigh leat — you think/suppose
him	leis	is dóigh leis — he thinks/supposes
her	léi	is dóigh léi — she thinks/supposes
us	linn	is dóigh linn — we think/suppose
you (plural)	libh	is dóigh libh — you think/suppose
them	leo	is dóigh leo — they think/suppose

The same set appears in preference expressions, so learning it pays off quickly.

Likes, strong likes, and dislikes

Use the copula plus an adjective or noun-like expression, then the appropriate le form:

Pattern	Usual meaning	Example
is maith le...	... likes	Is maith liom tae.
is breá le...	... really likes/loves	Is breá léi ceol.
is fearr le...	... prefers	Is fearr linn an traein.
is fuath le...	... hates	Is fuath leis an bháisteach.
ní maith le...	... does not like	Ní maith leo torann.

English encourages learners to search for a verb corresponding to “like.” In this core Irish pattern, however, maith is “good,” is is the copula, and the experiencer is shown by liom/leat/leis.... That is why mé maith tae cannot mean “I like tea.”

A noun can follow the pattern directly. To say that you like doing something, a verbal noun (a verb form used for an activity, similar to English “-ing”) is also common:

• Is maith liom léamh. — I like reading.
• Is breá leo a bheith ag siúl. — They love walking.

At A2, it is safest to learn common activity phrases as whole units because verbal-noun constructions vary according to the verb.

Preferences and comparisons with ná

Is fearr liom X ná Y means “I prefer X to Y.” The preferred item comes first; ná introduces the item it is compared with.

Is fearr + le-form + preferred choice + ná + other choice

• Is fearr liom tae ná caife. — I prefer tea to coffee.
• Is fearr léi fanacht sa bhaile ná dul amach. — She prefers staying at home to going out.

English uses “prefer X to Y,” but Irish uses ná, the same comparison word found in many “than” structures. Do not insert go or le before the second choice.

When the following clause uses the copula

Before a normal verb, use go: Ceapaim go bhfuil.... When the embedded statement itself uses the copula is, standard Irish normally combines “that” with the copula as gur:

• Is múinteoir é. — He is a teacher.
• Ceapaim gur múinteoir é. — I think he is a teacher.
• Is smaoineamh maith é. — It is a good idea.
• Is dóigh liom gur smaoineamh maith é. — I think it is a good idea.

For beginner conversation, remember the high-frequency contrast go bhfuil + description/state, but gur + copula identification or classification.

Examples in Context

Irish	English	Note
Ceapaim go bhfuil sé go maith.	I think it is good.	Core ceapaim go bhfuil pattern
Ceapaim go n-oibríonn sí sa chathair.	I think she works in the city.	go introduces a full clause
Ceapaim gur múinteoir é.	I think he is a teacher.	gur before a copula statement
Is dóigh liom go bhfuil sé ceart.	I suppose it is correct.	A measured or less certain opinion
Is dóigh léi go mbeidh an aimsir níos fearr amárach.	She thinks the weather will be better tomorrow.	léi = “with her”; go mbeidh is future
Is maith liom an leabhar seo.	I like this book.	The liked item follows liom
Ní maith le Seán caife láidir.	Seán does not like strong coffee.	A name can follow le
Is breá linn ceol traidisiúnta.	We love traditional music.	linn refers to “us”
Is fuath liom an fhuacht.	I hate the cold.	The article causes fuacht to become fhuacht here
Is fuath leo fanacht i dtrácht.	They hate waiting in traffic.	An activity follows the expression
Is fearr liom tae ná caife.	I prefer tea to coffee.	Preferred choice before ná
Is fearr leis an bus ná an traein.	He prefers the bus to the train.	leis identifies the person
Is fearr linn fanacht sa bhaile ná dul amach anocht.	We prefer staying home to going out tonight.	Comparison between activities
An maith leat an scannán?	Do you like the film?	Question form of the copula expression
Is maith, ach is fearr liom an leabhar.	Yes, but I prefer the book.	Natural short answer plus contrast

Common Mistakes

Translating “I like” word by word

• Wrong: Mé maith tae.
• Right: Is maith liom tae.
• Why: Irish uses the copula and liom, not an English-style subject + “like” verb.

Using tá in the opinion expression

• Wrong: Tá maith liom an ceol.
• Right: Is maith liom an ceol.
• Why: Is maith liom is a copula expression. Tá is used for states and descriptions in other structures, but it does not replace is here.

Saying go tá

• Wrong: Ceapaim go tá sé ceart.
• Right: Ceapaim go bhfuil sé ceart.
• Why: After go, the dependent present form of bí is bhfuil. Learn go bhfuil as one chunk.

Keeping liom for every person

• Wrong: Is maith liom tae when you mean “She likes tea.”
• Right: Is maith léi tae.
• Why: The le form carries the person: liom means “with me,” while léi means “with her.”

Reversing the preference

• Wrong for “I prefer tea to coffee”: Is fearr liom caife ná tae.
• Right: Is fearr liom tae ná caife.
• Why: The item immediately after the le form is the preferred one.

Using go before an embedded copula statement

• Wrong: Ceapaim go is múinteoir é.
• Right: Ceapaim gur múinteoir é.
• Why: In standard Irish, “that” and the present copula combine as gur in this positive structure.

Usage Notes

Ceapaim go... can state a clear personal judgment, while is dóigh liom go... often leaves more room for uncertainty. Neither has one fixed English translation in every situation: tone and context may make is dóigh liom sound like “I think,” “I suppose,” or “probably, in my view.”

Is breá liom is a natural strong positive reaction to food, music, places, activities, and many other things. English “love” has a very wide range, so do not assume that one Irish expression covers every emotional context. For deep personal love, Irish can use expressions with grá, such as tá grá agam duit (“I love you,” literally “I have love for you”). That distinction is useful, but it is separate from the basic preference pattern.

Questions and negatives preserve the frame but change the copula:

• An maith leat é? — Do you like it?
• Ní maith liom é. — I do not like it.
• Nach fearr leat tae? — Don’t you prefer tea?

A short answer often repeats the key predicate rather than using a separate all-purpose word for “yes” or “no”: An maith leat é? — Is maith. / Ní maith. In real conversation, speakers may also answer with a fuller phrase for clarity.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following points at A2, but they explain forms you will meet later.

In past-time opinions, both the thinking verb and the embedded clause can change: Cheap mé go raibh sé go maith means “I thought it was good.” Cheap is the past of ceap, and go raibh is the past dependent form of bí. If the original thought concerned a later event, tense choice depends on the intended timeline rather than on a mechanical English tense rule.

Irish also has other ways to frame a viewpoint. Dar liom means “in my opinion” or “as far as I am concerned”: Dar liom, tá sé róchostasach (“In my opinion, it is too expensive”). It is useful for explicitly marking a personal assessment, especially when contrasting views. I mo thuairim also means “in my opinion” and is transparent once you know tuairim (“opinion”). These expressions can sound more deliberate than simply beginning with ceapaim.

The comparative is fearr also occurs without a personal preference meaning. In Tá an aimsir níos fearr inniu, níos fearr means “better” and describes the weather. By contrast, is fearr liom an aimsir inniu means “I prefer today’s weather.” Notice whether the sentence contains a le form: it is a strong clue that someone’s preference is being expressed.

Finally, natural Irish offers regional and stylistic variation in vocabulary, pronunciation, and preferred constructions. The structures taught here—ceapaim go, is dóigh liom, is maith liom, is fearr liom, and is fuath liom—are broadly useful standard forms. As your listening improves, record the complete phrases used by speakers rather than replacing them with literal English equivalents.

Practice Tips

1. Rotate the person, not just the noun. Say is maith liom, is maith leat, is maith léi, and so on with the same object. This makes the le forms automatic.
2. Build two-column opinions. Choose an everyday topic and make one sentence with ceapaim go bhfuil... and another with is dóigh liom go bhfuil.... Say which sounds more certain to you.
3. Practise real choices. Compare drinks, transport, films, and weekend activities with is fearr liom X ná Y. Always check that your preferred option comes before ná.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: The Copula (Is) — explains the linking word used in is maith liom, is fearr liom, and related expressions.