"Tá spéis agam sa mhatamaitic."

Translation: I have an interest in mathematics.

[AlmogL]

Is there a difference between spéis and suim?

[scilling]

See this discussion.

[RichardMik2]

Why is this sa and not i?

[Knocksedan]

Because the definite article is used when referring to a topic like this - Chemistry is an cheimic, Latin is an Laidin, etc.

[JohnWilkinson1]

How would you say "i have an interest in the mathematics" e.g. of nuclear physics?

[Knocksedan]

Tá spéis agam sa mhatamaitic.

The an is already there, it's just not expressed in English unless you are talking about a specific field, as in your example.

[ZuMako8_Momo]

Why is the s broad and the p slender in "spéis"?

[SatharnPHL]

Words that start with sf, sm and sp are pronounced with a broad s even when they are next to slender vowels - sféarúil, sméar dhubh, spideog. They can be pronounced with a slender s when they aren't at the start - ispíní, cloisfear, etc.

There are a number of exceptions that apply to s, from lenition (sc, sf, sm, sp and st are never lenited) to t-prefixes in certain circumstances, and pronunciation exceptions like this. You could probably do a whole skill on just the letter s!

[BryceJ.R.]

If I had interest in math, would I be learing Irish?

[torowan]

Mar tá a lán comhairthe ag an Dread Pirate Roberts a dhéanamh nuair a robáil sé Éirinn

[BryceJ.R.]

Nuh-uh, all we do is take what we see. No prisoners, remember? That way there are no numbers that need keeping track of. It really helps when most of the population of feudal-age Europe isn't even so much as literate.

[Caitlin186406]

????

[scilling]

!!!!