Spanish 2.9. Ordinal Numbers I

In Spanish, 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.

uno, una1primer(o), primera      1.o / 1.a
dos2segundo, segunda2.o / 2.a
tres3tercer(o), tercera3.o / 3.a
cuatro4cuarto, cuarta4.o / 4.a
cinco5quinto, quinta5.o / 5.a
seis6sexto, sexta6.o / 6.a
siete7séptimo, séptima7.o / 7.a
ocho8octavo, octava8.o / 8.a
nueve9noveno, novena9.o / 9.a
diez10décimo, décima10.o / 10.a

When the masculine form “primero” or “tercero” comes before a noun, we drop the final “o,” e.g., “Es el primero” (He is the first) versus “Es el primer atleta” (He is the first athlete).

Abbreviation

The ordinal numbers are abbreviated as follows:

1. Feminine:

cardinal number + “ . ” + “ a

e.g., “primera” (1.a), “cuarta” (4.a), “novena” (9.a).

2. Masculine:

cardinal number + “ . ” + “ o

e.g., “primero” (1.o), “cuarto” (4.o), “noveno” (9.o),

The exceptions are “primer” (1.er), and “tercer” (3.er), which use the superscript “er” instead of “o.”

Describing Dates in Spanish

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

A notable exception is the first day of the month, in which case we can use either the ordinal or the cardinal number, e.g., “el primero de noviembre” or “el uno de noviembre.”

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.

Fractional Numbers

Fractional numbers from fourth to tenth are the same as the ordinal number, e.g., “un cuarto de los jugadores” (a fourth of the players), “un quinto de los recursos” (a fifth of the resources).

To describe the fractional number 1/2 (half), we use the adjective “medio” (masculine) or “media” (feminine), e.g., “medio kilo(half a kilo), “media hora(half an hour), “medio camino(half way).

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

The main difference that you need to remember to distinguish between “medio” and “mitad” is that the former is often an adjective, and in a few cases, can be an adverb, e.g., “a medias(halfway or half-finished). In contrast, the latter is always a noun, e.g., “la mitad de la clase(half of the class).   

The fractional number 1/3 (third) is “tercio” (not tercero), e.g., “un tercio de la población” (a third of the population).

The “un” can be dropped before 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 if preceded by an integer, e.g., 1 ½ (uno y medio), 5 ¼ (cinco y cuarto).

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

Quiz: Ordinal Numbers in Spanish I

Spanish: Ordinal Numbers I

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1. Match the correct answer to fill in the blanks meaning "third":

tercer, tercero, tercera?

 

Él es el .    (He is the third.)

 

Él es el cliente.    (He is the third client.)

 

Ella es la cliente.    (She is the third client.)

 

 

 

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2. The masculine form of the ordinal number seventh 7.o is:

SP:

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

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3. The feminine form of the ordinal number eighth 8.a is:

SP:

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

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4. Fill in the blanks with the correct word: "medio", "media", or "mitad"

  1. cubo    (half a cube)
  2. la de la tierra     (half of the land)
  3. hora     (half an hour)
  4. la de la clase    (half of the class)

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5. a fourth of the players

un de los jugadores

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6. the first of November

SP: el ___ de noviembre

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7. 2 1/3

SP: dos y ___

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8. 5 ¼

SP: cinco y ___

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9. a fifth of the resources

un  de los recursos

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10. Fill in the blanks:

He is the first.

SP: Es el .

He is the first athlete.

SP: Es el atelta.

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11. The feminine form of the ordinal number sixth 6.a is:

SP:

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

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12. a third of the population

un de la población

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13. The masculine form of the ordinal number tenth 10.o is:

SP:

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

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14. 1 ½

SP: uno y ___

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15. the fifth of October

SP: el ___ de octubre

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16. The masculine form of the ordinal number ninth 9.o is:

SP:

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

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