The Dual Number. In between singular and plural, the dual number refers to two-of-a-kind or a pair of things. Here are some sample sentences to show how it works. If you hover your mouse arrow over the speaker icon you can hear the sentence spoken.

Gaeilge (Gaoluinn)	Béarla	Éist
Mo dhá chois.	My two feet.
A dhá súil.	Her two eyes.
Do dhá láimh.	Your two hands.
A dhá chluais.	His two ears.
Tá an fear bocht san ar leath-shúil, slán mo chomhartha!	That poor man has only one eye, God bless the mark!
D'fhan Seán leath-uair an chloig ar a leath-ghlúin.	John stayed (kneeling) on one knee for half an hour.
Do chuir an seanduine leath-chluas air féin.	The old man turned his head to listen.
Tá leath-laí briste sa trucail sin.	One shaft of that cart is broken.
Do ghlaoigh a mháthair i leataoibh ar Sheán.	His mother called John aside.
Tá tithe móra sa bhaile mhór.	There are big houses in the town.
Tá an banc idir oifig an phoist agus an séipéal.	The bank is between the post-office and the chapel.
D'imigh na buachaillí síos an tsráid i ndiaidh na gcailíní, agus sheasaíodar ag doras an halla.	The boys went down the street after the girls and stood at the door of the hall.
Tá fuinneoga arda ar an halla agus dhá dhoras mhóra.	The hall has high windows and two big doors.
Bhí an rince ar siúl nuair a thánadar, agus cheannaíodar ticéadaí ó fhear an dorais.	The dance was in progress when they arrived, and they bought tickets from the door-man.
Ní raibh sé de chead ag aoinne dul isteach gan ticéad.	No one was allowed in without a ticket.
Do chonac ag dul abhaile iad ó chianaibh.	I saw them going home a while ago.
Do ritheas as an seomra agus amach liom ar an sráid.	I ran out of the room and hastened out on to the street.
Shiúlaíos tríd an mbaile mór agus timpeall an locha soir go dtí an droichead.	I walked through the town and round the lake, east to the bridge.
Do bhí mo ghadhar lem chois.	My dog was with me.
Sheasaíos ag an ndroichead agus bhíos ag féachaint ar na breacaibh san uisce thíos fúm.	I stood at the bridge and watched the fish down below me in the water.
Níor chuas trasna na habhann i n-aon chor.	I did not cross the river at all.
Chasas thar n-ais tar éis tamaill.	I turned back after a while.
Nuair a bhíos ag siúl abhaile trasna na bpáirceanna, do léim coinín amach as poll agus do chuaigh an gadhar ina dhiaidh, ach níor tháinig sé suas leis.	When I was walking home across the fields, a rabbit jumped out of a hole, and the dog went after it but he did not overtake it.
A dhá chois.	His two feet.
Mo dhá shúil.	My two eyes.
A dhá bróig.	Her two shoes.
Tá an seana-shaighdiúir ar leath-láimh.	The old soldier has only one arm.
Is fearr bheith ar leath-shúil ná bheith dall ar fad.	It is better to have one eye than to be altogether blind.
Leath-chúpla is ea an cailín sin.	That girl is a twin.
Amach liom as an dtigh.	I hastened out of the house.
Bhí sé dorcha amuigh, mar bhí na tráthnóintí ag dul i ngiorracht.	It was dark outside, for the evenings were getting short.
Do shiúlaíomair trasna na bpáirceanna agus anonn thar an ndroichead.	We walked across the fields and over the bridge.
Do bhí seanduine ina shuí i n-aice an droichid.	There was an old man sitting near the bridge.
Do rith an gadhar mórthimpeall na páirce i ndiaidh na gcoiníní.	The dog ran all around the field after the rabbits.
Ansan do shiúlaíos tríd an mbaile mór go dtí oifig an phoist, agus thánag abhaile gan mhoill.	Then I walked through the town to the post office and came home without delay.
Do bhuail do dheartháir umam sa tsráid.	I met your brother in the street.
D'imigh na cailíní go dtí an séipéal ó chianaibh.	The girls went to the chapel a while ago.
Tá cuid den airgead caillte.	Some of the money is lost.
Do thóg sé den bhord é, agus chuir sé isteach i mbosca é a bhí fén ndriosúr.	He took it from the table and put it into a box which was under the dresser.

 

gaoluinn

|

Tá an láithreán gréasáin seo © cóipchirt 2014 ag Gaoluinn. Gach ceart ar cosaint.
Ach mar atá léirithe, taifeadtaí fuaime ag Gael-Linn agus tá an téacs bunaithe ar Myles Dillon, agus eile.