Counting Objects

When counting objects, the words for numbers change.

Dó (Two) becomes Dhá
Ceathair (Four) becomes Ceithre

Example: Counting the Number of Boats (Báid)

Bád amháin – One boat
Dhá bhád – Two boats
Trí bhád – Three boats
Ceithre bhád – Four boats
Cúig bhád – Five boats
Sé bhád – Six boats
Seacht mbád – Seven boats
Ocht mbád – Eight boats
Naoi mbád – Nine boats
Deich mbád – Ten boatsAon bhád déag – Eleven boats
Dhá bhád déag – Twelve boats
Trí bhád déag – Thirteen boats
Ceithre bhád déag – Fourteen boats
Cúig bhád déag – Fifteen boats
Sé bhád déag – Sixteen boats
Seacht mbád déag – Seventeen boats
Ocht mbád déag – Eightenn boats
Naoi mbád déag – Nineteen boats

Fiche bád – Twenty boats
Aon bhád is fiche – Twenty-one boats
Dhá bhád is fiche – Twenty-two boats
Trí bhád is fiche – Twenty-three boats
Ceithre bhád is fiche – Twenty-four boats
Cúig bhád is fiche – Twenty-five boats
Sé bhád is fiche – Twenty-six boats
Seacht mbád is fiche – Twenty-seven boats
Ocht mbád is fiche – Twenty-eight boats
Naoi mbád is fiche – Twenty-nine boats

Tríocha bád – Thirty boats
Aon bhád is tríocha – Thirty-one boats
Cúig bhád is tríocha – Thirty-three boats
Naoi mbád is tríocha – Thirty-nine boats

Daichead bád – Forty boats
Seacht mbád is daichead – Forty-seven boats

Caoga bád – Fifty boats
Aon bhád is caoga – Fifty-one boats

Seasca bád – Sixty boats
Ocht mbád is seasca – Sixty-eight boats

Seachtó bád – Seventy boats
Ceithre bhád is seachtó – Seventy-four boats

Ochtó bád – Eighty boats
Ocht mbád is ochtó – Eighty-eight boats

Nocha bád – Ninety boats
Trí bhád is nocha – Ninety-three boats
Céad bád – One hundred boats

You’ll see the pattern

1. You use the singular of the word for the object
2. Aon –> Sé (Numbers 1 to 6, like 3, 23, 33, 43, etc.) = Aspirate the object.
   This means placing the séibhiú, or the h, just after the first consanant.
   e.g. Trí bhád = Three boats
3. Seacht –> Naoi (Numbers 7 to 9) = Eclipsis.
   An extra consantant is placed at the beginning of the object’s word.
   e.g. Seacht mbád = Seven boats
4. If it’s a multiple of ten (20, 40, 60) except 10 you just leave the object’s word as it is.
   e.g. Fiche bád = Twenty boats

Written by Conor.

Learn to count in Irish Gaelic with Bitesize Irish Gaelic.