Introduction to Ordinals
In Spanish, ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position or order of things in a sequence, such as "first," "second," or "third." They function similarly to ordinal numbers in English and are important for telling dates, floors, chapters, and rankings.
Formation of Ordinals
Most ordinal numbers in Spanish are formed by adding specific suffixes to the root of the cardinal number. The first few ordinals are irregular, but afterward, the pattern becomes more regular, often ending in -o or -a, depending on the gender of the noun they modify.
Common Ordinals
The first ten ordinal numbers are important to learn as they are used most frequently. These are: primero (first), segundo (second), tercero (third), cuarto (fourth), quinto (fifth), sexto (sixth), séptimo (seventh), octavo (eighth), noveno (ninth), and décimo (tenth).
Gender and Number Agreement
Ordinal numbers must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. For example, primero changes to primera when describing a feminine noun, and plural ordinals end with -os or -as such as primeros or primeras.
Special Cases and Abbreviations
The first and third ordinals, primero and tercero, sometimes lose the final -o before masculine singular nouns, e.g., el primer día. Ordinals are often abbreviated—for example, 1º for primero and 3ª for tercera—especially in dates and lists.
Usage in Dates and Contexts
Spanish commonly uses ordinal numbers for chapters, floors, and official titles. However, for dates, cardinal numbers are generally preferred instead of ordinals, e.g., el cinco de mayo (May 5th), not el quinto de mayo.
Summary Table of Ordinals
| Cardinal | Masculine | Feminine | Abbreviation (Masc./Fem.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | primero | primera | 1º / 1ª |
| 2 | segundo | segunda | 2º / 2ª |
| 3 | tercero | tercera | 3º / 3ª |
| 4 | cuarto | cuarta | 4º / 4ª |
| 5 | quinto | quinta | 5º / 5ª |
| 6 | sexto | sexta | 6º / 6ª |
| 7 | séptimo | séptima | 7º / 7ª |
| 8 | octavo | octava | 8º / 8ª |
| 9 | noveno | novena | 9º / 9ª |
| 10 | décimo | décima | 10º / 10ª |
