Likes and Dislikes in Irish

Overview

Expressing what you like and dislike is one of the most common things you will do in conversation. In Irish, preferences are expressed using the copula is combined with adjectives and the prepositional pronoun liom/leat/leis (with me/you/him), creating distinctive patterns that differ significantly from English.

The basic structure is Is maith liom + noun/verbal noun, which literally means "is good with me" but translates as "I like." To say you love something, you upgrade to Is breá liom (is lovely with me), and for dislike, you use Ní maith liom (is not good with me). For strong dislike, Is fuath liom (is hateful with me) expresses "I hate."

These copula expressions are among the most frequently used structures in everyday Irish. They rely on the prepositional pronouns of le (with), so mastering the forms liom, leat, leis, léi, linn, libh, leo will allow you to talk about anyone's preferences.

How It Works

Core Preference Expressions

Irish	English	Intensity
Is maith liom...	I like...	mild positive
Is breá liom...	I love...	strong positive
Is aoibhinn liom...	I adore...	very strong positive
Ní maith liom...	I don't like...	mild negative
Is fuath liom...	I hate...	strong negative

Prepositional Pronouns of "le"

Person	Form	Example
mé (I)	liom	Is maith liom é.
tú (you sg.)	leat	Is maith leat é.
sé (he)	leis	Is maith leis é.
sí (she)	léi	Is maith léi é.
muid (we)	linn	Is maith linn é.
sibh (you pl.)	libh	Is maith libh é.
siad (they)	leo	Is maith leo é.

Asking About Preferences

Irish	English
An maith leat...?	Do you like...?
An breá leat...?	Do you love...?
Nach maith leat...?	Don't you like...?
Cad is maith leat?	What do you like?
Ar mhaith leat...?	Would you like...?

Answering Questions

Question	Positive	Negative
An maith leat tae?	Is maith.	Ní maith.
An breá leat ceol?	Is breá.	Ní breá.

Examples in Context

Irish	English	Note
Is maith liom ceol.	I like music.	Basic preference
Is breá liom an samhradh.	I love summer.	Stronger positive
Ní maith liom an fhuacht.	I don't like the cold.	Negative preference
An maith leat peile?	Do you like football?	Question form
Is fuath liom an bháisteach.	I hate the rain.	Strong dislike
Is maith léi úlla.	She likes apples.	Third person feminine
Is breá leo an Ghaeilge.	They love Irish.	Third person plural
An maith leat caife nó tae?	Do you like coffee or tea?	Offering a choice
Ní maith liom iasc ar chor ar bith.	I don't like fish at all.	"ar chor ar bith" = at all
Is aoibhinn liom an áit seo.	I adore this place.	Very strong positive

Common Mistakes

Using "tá" instead of the copula

• Wrong: Tá maith liom ceol
• Right: Is maith liom ceol.
• Why: Preferences use the copula is, not the verb tá. The copula is used for classification and permanent-like states.

Forgetting the prepositional pronoun

• Wrong: Is maith mé ceol
• Right: Is maith liom ceol.
• Why: You must use the prepositional pronoun liom (with me), not the regular pronoun mé.

Mixing up the question and answer forms

• Wrong: Answering An maith leat tae? with Tá
• Right: Is maith. / Ní maith.
• Why: Copula questions require copula answers. You echo the copula form, not the verb tá.

Confusing "ar mhaith leat" and "an maith leat"

• Wrong: Using them interchangeably
• Right: An maith leat = Do you like? Ar mhaith leat = Would you like?
• Why: Ar mhaith leat uses the past/conditional copula and functions as a polite offer or request.

Practice Tips

1. Make a list of ten things (foods, activities, seasons) and express your opinion about each using Is maith liom, Is breá liom, Ní maith liom, or Is fuath liom.
2. Practice short dialogues: An maith leat...? — Is maith / Ní maith. Swap different topics to build fluency with the pattern.

Related Concepts

• The Copula (Is) — the copula verb that powers all preference expressions