Number + o + Plural

Larger Numbers + O + Plural

Level 3

For bigger numbers, add o (of) and a plural: dau ddeg o bobl (twenty people), literally "twenty of people".

How It Works

Two patterns.

  • Small numbers: number + singular noun. tri llyfr (three books), deg munud (ten minutes). See nouns after numbers.
  • Bigger numbers: number + o + plural. dau ddeg o bobl, tri deg o fyfyrwyr, cant o geir.

The mutation. O always softens the next word: plant → o blant, ceir → o geir, merched → o ferched, llyfrau → o lyfrau. See soft mutation after o.

Why o? Long numbers such as dau ddeg pump put the noun a long way from the start. Adding o and a plural keeps the phrase clear: dau ddeg pump o blant (twenty-five children).

Both patterns are correct. A singular noun after a larger number is also correct: dau ddeg munud (twenty minutes). With small numbers you will sometimes hear o + plural too, especially for people: tri o blant.

For the numbers themselves, see numbers 11 to 99 and hundreds and thousands.

Examples (6)

  1. Mae dau ddeg o blant yn y dosbarth.

    There are twenty children in the class.

    Plant softens to blant after o.

  2. Daeth pum deg o bobl i'r cyfarfod.

    Fifty people came to the meeting.

    The verb stays singular (daeth) before a noun subject.

  3. Mae tri deg o fyfyrwyr ar y cwrs.

    There are thirty students on the course.

    Myfyrwyr softens to fyfyrwyr.

  4. Roedd cant o geir yn y maes parcio.

    There were a hundred cars in the car park.

  5. Mae dau ddeg pump o ferched yn y côr.

    There are twenty-five girls in the choir.

    Merched softens to ferched.

  6. Prynais i dri llyfr.

    I bought three books.

    With a small number, use the singular: llyfr, not llyfrau.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the soft mutation after o.

    dau ddeg o plant
    dau ddeg o blant

    O causes soft mutation, so p becomes b.

  • Using a singular noun after o.

    dau ddeg o blentyn
    dau ddeg o blant

    In this pattern, the noun after o is plural.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Number + o + PluralLevel 3Larger Numbers + O + Plural

Learn This First

Large decimal numbers take o + a softened plural.

Words in This Pattern