is cuma

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əsˠ ˈkʊmˠə/

Phrase

is cuma

1. to not matter

Usage notes

This phrase can be extended with a prepositional phrase headed by le to mean "not care, not mind" or by do "to be none of one's business". Such copular phrases in Irish frequently feature opposition between the preposition le, which implies subjective opinion, and the preposition do, which implies objective fact:

• Is cuma leat. ― It is all the same with you.
  • You do not care/mind (whether you should or not).
• Is cuma dhuit. ― It is all the same for/to you.
  • You should not care/mind (whether you do or not). → It is none of your business.

This phrase can also be immediately followed by the conjunction nó (“or”) to form a comparative sentence, which adheres to the original meaning of cuma (“the same, equal”):

• Is cuma nó bás é. ― It is the same as death.
• Is cuma nó asal é. ― He is like an ass.

Related terms

• ar chuma
• ar nós cuma/chuma liom (“indifferent”)
• nach cuma

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cuma”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN