Portuguese 2.9. Ordinal Numbers I

Level I 1. Alphabet & Pronunciation 1.1. Vowels 2. Similarities to English 2.1. Capitalization 2.2. Negation 2.3. Punctuation & Written Accents 3. Gender & Plural 4. Cardinal Numbers 5. Subject Personal Pronouns 6. Present Indicative Tense I 7. The Articles 8. Interrogative Pronouns & Adjectives 9. Basic Phrases Level II 1. Prepositions 2. Present Indicative Tense II – Irregular Verbs 3. The Verb “To Be”: “Ser” vs. “Estar” 4. Future Tense 5. Possessive Adjectives & Pronouns 6. Demonstrative Adjectives & Pronouns 7. Object Personal Pronouns 8. Relative Pronouns 9. Ordinal Numbers I 10. Times & Seasons Level III 1. “Por” vs. “Para” 2. The Verb “To Know”: “Saber” vs. “Conhecer” 3. Indefinite Adjectives & Pronouns 4. Present Progressive Tense 5. Present Perfect Tense 6. Special Uses of “Haver” & “Ter” 7. Telling Time & Describing Weather 8. Adverbs 9. Directions Level IV 1. Degrees of Comparison: Comparatives & Superlatives 2. Past Tense: Preterite vs. Imperfect 3. Conjunctions 4. Reflexive Pronouns & Verbs 5. Time Expressions: Ainda, Já, Acabar, and Desde 6. Present Subjunctive Tense 7. Future Perfect Tense Level V 1. Imperative Mood & Giving Commands 2. Simple Conditional Tense 3. Future Subjunctive Tense 4. Perfect Subjunctive Tense 5. Imperfect Subjunctive Tense 6. Past & Conditional Progressive Tenses 7. Interjections Level VI 1. Ordinal Numbers II 2. “Would/Should/Could Have …” 3. Pluperfect Indicative Tense 4. Pluperfect Subjunctive Tense 5.”Although” & “Despite” 6. Passive Voice & Impersonal “Se” 7. Diminutives & Augmentatives
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In Portuguese, ordinal numbers describe the order of a noun. Thus, it is considered an adjective and must agree in gender and number with the noun. Here are the ordinal numbers from 1 to 10.

um, uma1primeiro, primeira1.o / 1.a
dois, duas2segundo, segunda2.o / 2.a
três3terceiro, terceira3.o / 3.a
quatro4quarto, quarta4.o / 4.a
cinco5quinto, quinta5.o / 5.a
seis6sexto, sexta6.o / 6.a
sete7sétimo, sétima7.o / 7.a
oito8oitavo, oitava8.o / 8.a
nove9nono, nona9.o / 9.a
dez10décimo, décima10.o / 10.a

Abbreviation of Ordinal Numbers

The ordinal numbers are abbreviated as follows:

Feminine: cardinal number + “ . ” + “ a ,” e.g., “primeira” (1.a), “quarta” (4.a), “nona” (9.a).

Masculine: cardinal number + “ . ” + “ o ,” e.g., “primeiro” (1.o), “quarto” (4.o), “nono” (9.o).

Describing Dates in Portuguese

Unlike in English, where dates are described using ordinal numbers, e.g., “the 24th of October, dates are expressed using cardinal numbers in Portuguese, e.g., “24 de outubro.”

A notable exception is the first day of the month, in which case the ordinal number is used, e.g., “primeiro de novembro.”

Fractional Numbers

Fractional numbers from fourth to tenth are the same as the ordinal number, e.g., “um quarto dos jogadores” (a fourth of the players), “um quinto dos recursos” (a fifth of the resources).

To describe the fractional number 1/2 (half), we use the adjective “meio” (masculine) or “meia” (feminine), e.g., “meio quilo(half a kilo), “meia hora(half an hour), “meio caminho(half way), etc.

We also use the feminine noun “metade” to describe half the quantity of something, and it is often followed by “de,” e.g., “a metade da terra(half of the land).

The main difference that you need to remember to distinguish between “meio” and “metade” is that the former is often an adjective, e.g., “meio quilo(half a kilo). In contrast, the latter is always a noun, e.g., “a metade da aula(half of the class).   

The fractional number 1/3 (third) is “terço” (not terceiro), e.g., “um terço da população(a third of the population).

The “um” can be dropped before 1/2 if preceded by an integer, e.g., 1 ½ (um e meio).

We cover higher ordinal numbers and fractions in Level VI, Lesson 1.

Next: Time & Seasons

Back to: Portuguese Lessons

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