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'Tu' vs 'Tusa'?

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  • 01-09-2019 9:01pm
    #1
    fergalr
    Registered Users Posts: 1,922 ✭✭✭


    This is kind of a small issue, but I'd love to get some opinions on use of 'tu' vs 'tusa' (actually 'duit' vs 'duitse').

    I know '-sa' is used for emphasis, but I'm wondering how subjective the choice to use it is and when to use it.


    Situation:

    3 people at dinner table, lets call them A, B, C.

    A serves dinner to to B and says "seo duit".
    C already has their dinner.
    A thinks its pretty obvious they are serving B and says "seo duit".

    Which of the following would you say:

    1) A should say "seo duitse". That's just the natural thing to do and anything else sounds strange.

    2) A should say "seo duit". There's no real reason to add the emphasis and that sounds right.

    3) The right thing to say here, "Duit" vs "Duitse", is whatever A feels is best here, there's no right or wrong.

    4) Something else.

    Love any thoughts on this, this is kind of a hard thing to look up :-)


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    #2
    An gal gréine
    Registered Users Posts: 941 ✭✭✭An gal gréine


    D'fhág mise Béal Feirste ar a dó a chlog agus shroich mé Áth Cliath ar a ceathair.
    I would use 'mise' instead of 'mé' in the first instance if I felt a need to distinguish my departure time from someone else's.
    I would then use 'mé' instead of 'mise' in the second instance as I would think it unnecessary to make the distinction again.


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    #3
    deirdremf
    Registered Users Posts: 1,871 ✭✭✭deirdremf


    fergalr wrote: »
    3 people at dinner table, lets call them A, B, C.

    A serves dinner to to B and says "seo duit".
    C already has their dinner.
    A thinks its pretty obvious they are serving B and says "seo duit".

    2) A should say "seo duit". There's no real reason to add the emphasis and that sounds right.
    No 2 - no reason for emphasis here.


    You'll have to listen to good speakers to work out the actual usage.

    In fact I can't think of a situation where you'd ever want to say "seo dhuitse"; but one might exist!


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