Numbers, Time, and Counting Things

Number

uimhir
(ivert)

numbers

uimhreacha
(ivrekha)

one

a haon
(a hayin)

two

a dó

(a doe)

three

a trí
(a tree)

four

a ceathair
(a kahhert)

five

a cúig
(a coowig)

six

a sé
(a shay)

seven

a seacht
(a shokt)

eight

a hocht
(a hukt)

nine

a naoi
(a nee)

ten

a deich
(a jeh)

zero

a náid
(a nawj)

eleven

a haon déag
(a hayin jayig)

twelve

a dó dhéag
(a doe yayig)

thirteen

a trí déag
(a tree jayig)

fourteen

a ceathair déag
(a kahhert jayig)

fifteen

a cúig déag
(a coowig jayig)

sixteen

a sé déag
(a shay jayig)

seventeen

a seacht déag
(a shokt jayig)

eighteen

a hocht déag
(a hukt jayig)

nineteen

a naoi déag
(a nee jayig)

twenty

fiche
(feha)

What time is it?

Cén t-am é?
(kayn tarm ay)

It is five o’clock.

Tá sé a cúig a chlog
(taw shay a coowig a khlug)

o’clock/ bell

a chlog
(a khlug)

It is half past one

Tá sé a leathuair tar éis a haon
(taw shay a lahoor tar-aysh a hayin)

It is quarter past twelve

Tá sé a ceathrú tar éis a dó dhéag
(taw shay a kahroo tar-aysh a doe yayig)

It is a quarter to ten

Tá sé a ceathrú chun a deich
(taw shay a kahroo khun a jeh)

now

anois
(anish)

second

soicind
(sick-ind)

minute

nóiméad
(no-maird)

hour

uair
(ooert)

quarter

ceathrú
(kah-roo)

half hour

leathuair
(lahoor)

past

tar éis
(tar-aysh)

to

chun
(khun)

It is half past nine

Tá sé leathuair tar éis a naoi
(taw shar lahoor tar-aysh a nee)

It is quarter to six

Tá sé ceathrú chun a sé
(taw shay kah-roo khun a shay)

It is three o’clock

Tá sé a trí a chlog
(taw shay a tree a khlug)

It is quarter past eleven

Tá sé ceathrú tar éis a haon déag
(taw shay kah-roo tar-aysh a hayin jayig)

in the morning

ar maidin
(air marjin)

in the afternoon

sa tráthnóna
(sah trahnonna)

at night

san oíche
(san eehe)

It is three o’clock in the morning

Tá sé a trí a chlog ar maidin

at midnight (lit at the middle of the night)

ag meánoíche
(eg marn-eehe)

at noon (lit. at the middle of the day)

ag meán lae
(eg marn lay)

Good Morning

Maidin mhaith
(marjin wah)

Good afternoon

Tráthnóna maith
(trahnonna mah)

Goodnight

Oíche mhaith
(eehe wah)

When counting things only one, two, four, and eight change to?

amháin (a wine)
dhá (gaw)
ceithre (kerreh)
ocht (okt)

one dog

madra amháin (mardra a-wine)
aon mhadra amháin (ayin wahdra a-wine)

singular

uimhir uatha
(ivert ooha)

plural

uimhir iolra
(ivert ollra)

When counting things the noun stays in the _______

singular
e.g. five dog

We use the _______ noun when we are talking in general.

plural
e.g., dogs, cats, books; I buy books.

cat
cats
two cats

cat (kot)
cait (kotch)
dhá chat (gaw khot)

When counting, we add a séimhiú for numbers:

1-6 and 11-16
(1 has more flexibility)

one coffee

caife amháin (carffe a-wine)
aon chaife amháin (ayin kharffe a-wine)

two coffees
three coffees
four coffees
five coffees
six coffees

dhá chaife (gaw kharfeh)
trí chaife (tree kharfeh)
ceithre chaife (kerreh kharfeh)
cúig chaife (coowig kharfeh)
sé chaife (shay kharfeh)

two dogs
three dogs
four dogs
five dogs
six dogs

dhá mhadra (gaw wudrah)
trí mhadra (tree wudrah)
ceithre mhadra (kerreh wudrah)
cúig mhadra (coowig wudrah)
sé mhadra (shay wudrah)

When counting, we add a urú for numbers:

7-10
17-19

seven coffees
eight coffees
nine coffees
ten coffees

seacht gcaife (shokt garffeh)
ocht gcaife (okt garffeh)
naoi gcaife (nee garffeh)
deich gcaife (jeh garffeh)

seven dogs
eight dogs
nine dogs
ten dogs

seacht madra (shokt madra)
ocht madra (okt madra)
naoi madra (nee madra)
deich madra (jeh madra)

two eggs
three eggs
four eggs
five eggs
six eggs

(remember vowels don’t take a séimhiú)

dhá ubh (gaw uv)
trí ubh (tree uv)
ceithre ubh (kerreh uv)
cúig ubh (coowig uv)
sé ubh (shay uv)

seven eggs
eight eggs
nine eggs
ten eggs

(remember vowels take an n- for the úru)

seacht n-ubh (shokt nuv)
ocht n-ubh (okt nuv)
naoi n-ubh (nee nuv)
deich n-ubh (jeh nuv)

How many?

Cé mhéad

(kay vehrd)

How many + singular noun
(e.g. how many dogs?)

Cé mhéad + uatha
(e.g. Cé mhéad madra?)

one pen
two books
three cats
four dogs
five minutes
six trees

peann amháin (pyown a-wine)
dhá leabhar (gaw lyower)
trí chat (tree khat)
ceithre mhadra (kerreh wuhdra)
cúig nóiméad (coowig no-mehd)
sé chrann (shay khrarn)

seven coats
eight shoes
nine subjects
ten pens

seacht gcóta (shokt go-ta)
ocht mbróg (okt mrohg)
naoi n-ábhar (nee naw-vuh/naw-wuh)
deich bpeann (jeh byown)

11 houses
12 houses
13 houses
14 houses
15 houses
16 houses

aon teach déag (ayin chokh jayig)
dhá theach déag (gaw hyukh jayig)
trí theach déag (tree hyukh jayig)
ceithre theach déag (kerreh hyukh jayig)
cúig theach déag (coowig hyukh jayig)
sé theach déag (shay hyukh jayig)

when dentals come together (D N T L S) they don’t take a _____.
e.g. aon teach déag

séimhiú

17 houses
18 houses
19 houses

(Remember that déag doesnt take a séimhiú if the preceding noun ends in a consonant).

seacht dteach déag (shokt jukh jayig)
ocht dteach déag (okt jukh jayig)
naoi dteach déag (nee jukh jayig)

11 boxes
12 boxes
13 boxes
14 boxes
15 boxes
16 boxes

aon bhosca dhéag (ayin vosca yayig)
dhá bhosca dhéag (gaw vosca yayig)
trí bhosca dhéag (tree vosca yayig)
ceithre bhosca dhéag (kerreh vosca yayig)
cúig bhosca dhéag (coowig vosca yayig)
sé bhosca dhéag (shay vosca yayig)

(bhosca can be pronounced wosca or vosca)

17 boxes
18 boxes
19 boxes

seacht mbosca dhéag (shokt mosca yayig)
ocht mbosca dhéag (okt mosca yayig)
naoi mbosca dhéag (nee mosca yayig)

20 houses
30 houses
40 houses
50 houses
60 houses
70 houses
80 houses
90 houses
100 houses

(Remember in blocks of ten the noun is in the singular)

fiche teach (feh-ha chukh)
tríocha teach (trokha chukh)
daichead teach (duh-hed chukh)
caoga teach (cway-gah chukh)
seasca teach (shasca chukh)
seachtó teach (shokto chukh)
ochtó teach (oktoh chukh)
nócha teach (noh-ka chukh)
céad teach (kayed chukh)

thirty

tríocha
(trokha)

forty

daichead (duh-hed)

fifty

caoga (cway-gah)

sixty

seasca (shasca)

seventy

seachtó (shokto)

eighty

ochtó (oktoh)

ninety

nócha (noh-ka)

one hundred

céad (kayed)