Numbers 1-30

Cardinal Numbers 1 - 30

There are two distinct forms: 1) without a noun and 2) with a noun.

There are also two concurrent systems: a) traditional; based on units of twenty and b) decimal (preferred in education)

The numbers aon (one) to naoi deug (nineteen), both simple or compounded, are preceded by a (a h- before a vowel)

1. Without a noun

**a. Traditional** :
1	a h-aon	11	a h-aon deug	21	a h-aon air fhichead
2	a dhà ‡	12	a dhà dheug †	22	a dhà air fhichead
3	a trì	13	a trì deug	23	a trì air fhichead
4	a ceithir	14	a ceithir deug	24	a ceithir air fhichead
5	a còig	15	a còig deug	25	a còig air fhichead
6	a sia	16	a sia deug	26	a sia air fhichead
7	a seachd	17	a seachd deug	27	a seachd air fhichead
8	a h-ochd	18	a h-ochd deug	28	a h-ochd air fhichead
9	a naoi	19	a naoi deug	29	a naoi air fhichead
10	a deich	20	fichead	30	a deich air fhichead

‡ dà is always lenited to dhà after a
† deug always becomes dheug after dhà

**b. Decimal (**These are the same as traditional forms for numbers 1 to 20) :
1	a h-aon	11	a h-aon deug	21	fichead 's a h-aon
2	a dhà	12	a dhà dheug	22	fichead 's a dhà
3	a trì	13	a trì deug	23	fichead 's a trì
4	a ceithir	14	a ceithir deug	24	fichead 's a ceithir
5	a còig	15	a còig deug	25	fichead 's a còig
6	a sia	16	a sia deug	26	fichead 's a sia
7	a seachd	17	a seachd deug	27	fichead 's a seachd
8	a h-ochd	18	a h-ochd deug	28	fichead 's a h-ochd
9	a naoi	19	a naoi deug	29	fichead 's a naoi
10	a deich	20	fichead	30	trithead

2. With a noun
Examples are given for both masculine [cat, pl. cait (m) - cat] and feminine [cearc, pl. cearcan (f) - hen] nouns

**a. Traditional** :
1	aon chat (m) † aon chearc (f)	11	aon chat dheug # aon chearc dheug	21	aon chat fichead $ aon chearc fichead
2	dà chat dà chirc ‡	12	dà chat dheug # dà chirc dheug	22	dà chat fichead dà chirc fichead
3	trì cait trì cearcan	13	trì cait dheug * trì cearcan deug	23	trì cait fichead trì cearcan fichead
4	ceithir cait ceithir cearcan	14	ceithir cait dheug ceithir cearcan deug	24	ceithir cait fichead ceithir cearcan fichead
5	còig cait còig cearcan	15	còig cait dheug còig cearcan deug	25	còig cait fichead còig cearcan fichead
6	sia cait sia cearcan	16	sia cait dheug sia cearcan deug	26	sia cait fichead sia cearcan fichead
7	seachd cait seachd cearcan	17	seachd cait dheug seachd cearcan deug	27	seachd cait fichead seachd cearcan fichead
8	ochd cait ochd cearcan	18	ochd cait dheug ochd cearcan deug	28	ochd cait fichead ochd cearcan fichead
9	naoi cait naoi cearcan	19	naoi cait dheug naoi cearcan deug	29	naoi cait fichead naoi cearcan fichead
10	deich cait deich cearcan	20	fichead cat § fichead cearc	30	deich cait fichead deich cearcan fichead

† aon lenites all nouns except those beginning with d, t, and occasionally s
‡ dà is followed by the dative singular noun and always lenites the noun. In both the spoken and written language there is a growing tendency to use just the lenited nominative noun
# deug is lenited in conjunction with aon and dà. A notable exception is aon uair deug (eleven o' clock)
* deug is lenited after a plural noun which has a final narrow vowel (i)
§ fichead is always followed by the singular nominative noun
$ air fhichead usually changes to simply fichead for numbers between twenty-one and thirty with a noun

**b. Decimal (**These are the same as traditional forms for numbers 1 to 20) :
1	aon chat aon chearc	11	aon chat dheug aon chearc dheug	21	fichead 's a h-aon chat fichead 's a h-aon chearc
2	dà chat dà chirc	12	dà chat dheug dà chirc dheug	22	fichead 's a dà chat fichead 's a dà chirc
3	trì cait trì cearcan	13	trì cait dheug trì cearcan deug	23	fichead 's a trì cait fichead 's a trì cearcan
4	ceithir cait ceithir cearcan	14	ceithir cait dheug ceithir cearcan deug	24	fichead 's a ceithir cait fichead 's a ceithir cearcan
5	còig cait còig cearcan	15	còig cait dheug còig cearcan deug	25	fichead 's a còig cait fichead 's a còig cearcan
6	sia cait sia cearcan	16	sia cait dheug sia cearcan deug	26	fichead 's a sia cait fichead 's a sia cearcan
7	seachd cait seachd cearcan	17	seachd cait dheug seachd cearcan deug	27	fichead 's a seachd cait fichead 's a seachd cearcan
8	ochd cait ochd cearcan	18	ochd cait dheug ochd cearcan deug	28	fichead 's a h-ochd cait fichead 's a h-ochd cearcan
9	naoi cait naoi cearcan	19	naoi cait dheug naoi cearcan deug	29	fichead 's a naoi cait fichead 's a naoi cearcan
10	deich cait deich cearcan	20	fichead cat fichead cearc	30	trithead cat † trithead cearc

† trithead is always followed by the singular nominative noun

Nouns of measure are usually only found in the singular. A few common ones are :
bliadhna - year
sgillinn - penny
mìle - mile

The remaining cardinal numbers are reviewed in

NEW WORDS

**Adverbs**
a dh'aois - of age	a-mhàin - only

**Nouns**
buntàta (m) - potato(es)	punnd (m) - pound weight
sporan (m) - sporran, purse, wallet	taigh-seinnse (m) - public house
tombaca (m) - tobacco	ùnnsa (m) - ounce
aois (f) - age	bò (f) - cow
cluas (f) - ear	crìoch (f) - end
iomlaid (f) - change, exchange	mìle (f) - mile
sgillinn (f) - penny

**Prepositions**
airson - for

**Verbs**
cunnt, cunntadh - count	cosg, cosg - cost, spend
faighnich, faighneachd (de) - ask, enquire (of)	dìochuimhnich, dìochuimhneachadh (air) - forget (about)

**EXERCISE 1 Translate into English**
1.Thuirt e gu bheil dà thaigh aige	2.Bha trì duine fichead anns an taigh-sheinnse
3.Fhuair mi fichead nota mar dhuais	4.Chunnt sinn fichead seòmar anns an taigh-òsta
5.Tha dà chluais, dà làimh, agus dà shùil againn uile	6.Tha a trì is a trì a' dèanamh a sia
7.Dè na tha agad nad phòcaid? Fichead sgillinn a-mhàin	8.Dè na tha sin a' cosg? Ochd notaichean mas e do thoil e
9.Fuirich, na dìochuimhnich d' iomlaid. Seo dhut dà nota	10.Shaoil mi gun robh ochd nota fichead nam sporan
11.Tha mo bhràthair ceithir bliadhna a dh'aois	12.Dè an aois a tha do phiuthar? Ochd bliadhna fichead

**EXERCISE 2 Translate into Gàidhlig**
1.How much money do you have? Five pounds twenty pence	2.Five plus five makes ten
3.We spent twenty seven pounds in that shop	4.I bought a new book for nine pounds fifteen pence
5.That man only has one eye	6.I asked him (dheth) how many children he had
7.He ate nearly (faisg air) twenty sweets before dinner	8.There are six plates and six cups in the cupboard
9.The end of this road is ten miles away	10.I want five pounds of potatoes and three ounce of tobacco please

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 1**
1.He said he had two houses	2.There were twenty three an the hotel
3.I got twenty pounds as a prize	4.We counted twenty rooms in the hotel
5.We all have two ears, two hands, and two eyes	6.Three and three make six
7.How much do you have in your pocket? Only twenty pence	8.How much does that cost? Eight pounds please
9.Wait, don't forget your change. Here (for you) two pounds	10.I thought that there was twenty eight pounds in my purse
11.My brother is four years old (of age)	12.What age is your sister? Twenty eight (years)

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 2**
1.Dè na tha agad de dh'airgead? Còig nota is fichead sgillinn	2.Tha a còig agus a còig a' dèanamh a deich
3.Chosg sinn seachd nota fichead anns a' bhùth sin	4.Cheannaich mi leabhar ùr air naoi nota is còig sgillinn deug
5.Chan eil ach aon sùil aig an fhear sin	6.Dh'fhaighnich mi dheth dè na bha aige de chloinn
7.Dh'ith e faisg air fichead mìlseag ron dìnnear	8.Tha sia truinnsearan agus sia copannan ann anns a' phreas
9.Tha a' chrìoch den rathad seo deich mìle air falbh	10.Tha mi ag iarraidh còig puinnd de bhuntàta agus trì ùnnsachan de thombaca mas e ur toil e

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