| Author |
Message |
    
gillian dalaigh
| | Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2003 - 07:58 am: | 
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I am looking for some help with numbers. I am working with Teach Yourself Irish and I am learning now to count. I don't feel like it was properly explained when one should ad the "a" prefix and when one should not.
thanks,
gillian |
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Aonghus
| | Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2003 - 09:06 am: |
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I usually use "a" only when counting in the abstract one, two, three a haon, a dó, a trí If I were counting things I'd say bosca amháin, dhá bhosca, trí bhosca,... See also http://mbm.8m.com/irish/counting.htm |
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Larry
| | Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2003 - 03:43 pm: |
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Gillian, a chara,
In addition to the information given above by Aonghus, the particle 'a' is omitted with 'náid' (zero) and multiples of 10, for example 'fiche' (20) BUT it's reintoduced with numbers such as 'fiche a haon' (21), caoga a seacht (57) etc.
It can also be omitted if you wish to indicate a choice between two numbers, for example 'sé nó seacht' (6 or 7).
Le meas,
Larry. |
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Larry
| | Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2003 - 03:55 pm: |
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I'd like to clarify my last statement....
The number 10, of course, DOES have the particle - a deich. It's multiples of 10 from 20 upwwards that aren't prefixed with 'a' ...
Le meas,
Larry. |
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