Ordinal Numbers and Quantities in Irish

Overview

After learning cardinal numbers, the next step is ordinal numbers (first, second, third) and quantity expressions (a lot, a little, enough). These are essential for talking about sequences, rankings, dates, and amounts in everyday conversation.

Irish ordinal numbers have some unique features. The first two — an chéad (first) and an dara (second) — are irregular and behave differently from the rest. From an tríú (third) onward, ordinals follow a regular pattern using the suffix -ú (or -iú). Importantly, an chéad causes lenition on the following noun, which is a mutation pattern you should watch for.

Quantity expressions in Irish often use genitive constructions. Words like a lán (a lot), beagán (a little), roinnt (some), and go leor (enough/plenty) are followed by a noun in the genitive case. At this level, you can start using these expressions even before fully mastering the genitive, by learning common fixed phrases.

How It Works

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal	Irish	Mutation
1st	an chéad	+ lenition
2nd	an dara / an darna	no mutation
3rd	an tríú	no mutation
4th	an ceathrú	no mutation
5th	an cúigiú	no mutation
6th	an séú	no mutation
7th	an seachtú	no mutation
8th	an t-ochtú	no mutation
9th	an naoú	no mutation
10th	an deichiú	no mutation

Examples with Ordinals

Irish	English
an chéad lá	the first day
an dara duine	the second person
an tríú háit	the third place
an ceathrú huair	the fourth time

Quantity Expressions

Irish	English	Usage
a lán	a lot (of)	Tá a lán daoine ann.
go leor	enough / plenty	Tá go leor ama agam.
roinnt	some	roinnt airgid (some money)
beagán	a little / a few	beagán Gaeilge (a little Irish)
mórán	much / many	Níl mórán ama agam.
cúpla	a couple / a few	cúpla ceist (a couple of questions)
neart	plenty (informal)	Tá neart bia ann.

Examples in Context

Irish	English	Note
an chéad lá	the first day	"chéad" causes lenition
an dara duine	the second person	No mutation after "dara"
Tá a lán daoine ann.	There are a lot of people.	Genitive plural
Tá beagán Gaeilge agam.	I have a little Irish.	Genitive: Gaeilge
an tríú huair	the third time	h-prefix before vowel
Tá go leor ama againn.	We have enough time.	Genitive: am → ama
Cúpla ceist agam.	I have a couple of questions.	"cúpla" + singular noun
Níl mórán airgid agam.	I don't have much money.	"mórán" in negative
an chéad cheann eile	the next one (first other one)	Lenition after "chéad"
Roinnt daoine	some people	Genitive plural

Common Mistakes

Forgetting lenition after "an chéad"

• Wrong: an chéad lá is correct, but an chéad duine without lenition would be wrong
• Right: an chéad duine → an chéad dhuine
• Why: An chéad causes lenition on the following noun: duine → dhuine.

Treating "cúpla" like other quantity words

• Wrong: cúpla ceisteanna (plural noun)
• Right: cúpla ceist (singular noun)
• Why: Unlike other quantity expressions, cúpla is followed by the singular form of the noun.

Using "mórán" in positive sentences

• Wrong: Tá mórán airgid agam
• Right: Tá a lán airgid agam. (positive) / Níl mórán airgid agam. (negative)
• Why: Mórán is typically used in negative sentences and questions. For positive statements, use a lán.

Practice Tips

1. Practice ordinals by listing the days of a schedule or the steps of a process: an chéad rud, an dara rud, an tríú rud...
2. Describe quantities of things around you using different expressions: a lán leabhar (a lot of books), beagán uisce (a little water), go leor bia (enough food).

Related Concepts

• Numbers — the cardinal number system that ordinals build upon