Numbers – Cardinals: One, two, three

Cardinal numbers are the numbers that denote quantity, such as one, two or three.

There are two systems for cardinal numbers in Welsh: the decimal system and the older vigesimal system. The decimal system is more commonly used now, although certain words from the older vigesimal system are still widespread, especially when telling the time. Be thankful, though, that decimal is so popular, so you don’t have to learn pedwar ar bymtheg ar bedwar hugain for ninety nine!

Notes

• Use numbers 1 to 10 with singular noun, eg tri dyn, three men, or naw coeden, nine trees.
• Use numbers 11 and over with o and plural noun, eg undeg naw o ddynion, nineteen men.
• One, two, three and four have masculine and feminine forms. Use the form that corresponds to the gender of the thing being counted, eg tri mab, three sons but tair ferch, three daughters. Remember to keep an eye on mutations.
• One has only one spelling, un, but causes soft mutation of feminine nouns.
• Two, dau (m) and dwy (f) always causes soft mutation of the following noun, eg dau fab, dwy ferch. When used with the, both versions themselves undergo soft mutation, eg y ddau fab, y ddwy ferch.
• The masculine form of three, tri, causes aspirite mutation – this is more common in literary Welsh, but optional in speech. C is most likely to be mutated in speech, but p and t less so. Thus you may hear tri cheffyl, three horses or tri ceffyl, but are unlikely to hear tri phaced, three packets. The feminine version, tair, causes no mutation.
• Four has masculine and feminine versions – pedwar (m) and pedair (f) – but neither cause mutation.
• Five, pump, drops its final p when followed directly by a noun, e.g. pum cath, five cats, but pump o gathod.
• Six, chwech, drops its final ch when followed directly by a singular noun, and then causes aspirate mutation, eg chwe cheiniog, six pence. Again, p and t are not always mutated, and aspirate mutation is not consistently applied. The full length version is used for plural nouns, with a following o, or on its own, eg chwech o afalau, six apples.
• When you are talking about a group of things or people, then only use the feminine form when the whole group are feminine or female, eg dwy ohonoch chi means two of you (females), whereas dau ohonoch chi could refer to a pair of males, or one male and one female.
• Vigesimal numbers marked with an asterisk are still commonly in use.
• Plurals are given in brackets.

Cardinal Numerals