Numbers

1. A haon, a dó, a trí, a ceathair, a cúig

   A hane, a doh, a tree, a ka-her, a koo-ig

   One, two, three, four, five

   Usage

   Basic counting 1–5 using the cardinal number form (with "a" prefix)

   Grammar Note

   The prefix "a" marks cardinal numbers. Irish has three number systems: cardinal, ordinal, and personal (for counting people)

2. A sé, a seacht, a hocht, a naoi, a deich

   A shay, a shakt, a hokht, a nee, a deh

   Six, seven, eight, nine, ten

   Usage

   Numbers 6–10, needed for telling time and reading prices

   Grammar Note

   The "h" in "a hocht" and "a haon" is a hiatus-breaking "h", not lenition — a subtle but important Irish phonology rule

3. Fiche, tríocha, daichead, caoga

   Fi-heh, tree-akh-a, dayk-ad, kwee-ga

   Twenty, thirty, forty, fifty

   Usage

   Larger numbers for prices, ages, and quantities

   Grammar Note

   Old Irish had a vigesimal (base-20) system using "fichead". Modern Irish uses base-10 for most purposes

4. Céad, dhá chéad, míle

   Kayd, yaw kayd, mee-leh

   One hundred, two hundred, one thousand

   Usage

   Large numbers for prices, distances, and quantities

   Grammar Note

   "dhá" (two) causes lenition of the following noun: "céad" → "chéad". Numbers frequently trigger mutations in Irish

5. Cén t-am é?

   Kayn tam ay?

   What time is it?

   Usage

   The most common way to ask what time it is

   Grammar Note

   "am" (time) takes a prothetic "t-" after "cén" — written as "t-am" with a hyphen, a specific Irish morphological rule

6. A seasca, a seachtó, a hochtó, a nócha, a céad

   A shas-ka, a shakh-toh, a hokh-toh, a noh-kha, a kayd

   Sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred

   Usage

   Numbers 60–100 for prices, ages, and quantities

   Grammar Note

   "a céad" here is the cardinal number 100, not "first". The prefix "a" marks cardinal numbers

7. Tá sé a sé a chlog.

   Taw shay a shay a khlug.

   It is six o'clock.

   Usage

   Telling the time using the number six

   Grammar Note

   The preposition "a" (< do/de) in "a chlog" lenites "clog" (clock/hour) to "chlog". Time is expressed as number + "a chlog"

8. Dhá euro is caoga cent

   Yaw yoo-roh is kwee-ga sent

   Two euros and fifty cents

   Usage

   Expressing a price in euros and cents

   Grammar Note

   "dhá" (two) triggers lenition of following nouns. "euro" is a loanword that doesn't change form

9. Cé mhéad duine?

   Kay vayd din-eh?

   How many people?

   Usage

   Asking how many people at a restaurant or hotel check-in

   Grammar Note

   Irish has a special personal number system (duine, beirt, triúr…), but "cé mhéad duine" is widely understood

10. An chéad cheann eile

    On kayd hyan el-eh

    The next one

    Usage

    Indicating the next item, turn, or number in a sequence

    Grammar Note

    "céad" lenites to "chéad" after "an", and "ceann" also lenites to "cheann" after the ordinal — double lenition

11. Tá mé seacht mbliana is fiche d'aois.

    Taw may shakt mlee-an-a is fi-heh deesh.

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    Giving your age — the answer to "Cén aois thú?" (What age are you?)

    Grammar Note

    Age is expressed with the frame "Tá sé bliain d'aois" (he is a year old). "bliain" takes the special numeral plural "bliana", eclipsed to "mbliana" after "seacht". Twenty-seven is counted as seven plus twenty

12. Beidh mé ocht mbliana is fiche d'aois i mbliana.

    Byeh may okht mlee-an-a is fi-heh deesh i mlee-an-a.

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Saying what age you will reach during the current year

    Grammar Note

    "beidh" is the future of "bí" (to be), matching present-tense "tá". "i mbliana" is the fixed phrase for "this year"; it happens to look like the "mbliana" of "ocht mbliana" because both are eclipsed forms of "bliain"

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