Comparative Grammar 2.7. Ordinal Numbers in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French

In this comparative grammar lesson of Romance languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, & French, we study ordinal numbers in each language. 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 in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French from 1 to 10.

Table of Contents

• Ordinal Numbers in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French
• “Primer(o)” & “Tercer(o)” in Spanish
• Describing Dates using Ordinal Numbers in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French
• Fractional Numbers
• Level II – Beginner

Ordinal Numbers in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French

“Primer(o)” & “Tercer(o)” in Spanish

In Spanish, when the masculine form “primero” or “tercero” is placed before a noun, the “o” is dropped.

For example, “Es el primero” (He is the first) versus “Es el primer atleta” (He is the first athlete).

Describing Dates using Ordinal Numbers in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French

Unlike in English, where dates are described using ordinal numbers, e.g., “the 24^th of October,” in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French, dates are expressed using cardinal numbers:

A notable exception is the first day of the month, in which case the ordinal number is used. In Spanish, the ordinal or the cardinal number can be used. The use of the ordinal number “primero” is more common in Latin America, whereas the use of the cardinal number “uno” is more common in Spain. For example:

Fractional Numbers

• Fractional numbers from fourth to tenth are the same as the ordinal numbers in Spanish and Portuguese. Fractional numbers from third to tenth are the same as the ordinal numbers in Italian. Fractional numbers from fifth to tenth are the same as the ordinal numbers in French.  To summarize:

Here are some examples:

• To describe the fractional number 1/2 (half), we use the following adjective:

• We can also use the following feminine noun to describe half the quantity of something, and it is often followed by a preposition meaning “of,” for example:

• In numbers formed by an integer and a fraction, the indefinite article can be dropped before 1/2, if preceded by an integer in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French, and before 1/4, if preceded by an integer in French. For example:

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

Next: “Por” vs. “Para” in Spanish & Portuguese

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