Ordinal Numbers (Ordinalia)

Since the ordinals function like adjectives it seems to be a good time to introduce them now.

As in English some German ordinals show some irregularities [der erste - the first, der dritte - the third, der achte - the eighth], but basically, as in English, the German ordinals are formed by adding endings to the cardinal numbers.

In German, from 'first' to 'nineteenth' this ending is -t plus the strong or weak ending of the adjective, from 'twentieth' on the ending is -st plus the strong or weak endings of the adjective.

erst - first zweit - second dritt - third viert - fourth fünft - fifth sechst - sixth siebt - seventh acht - eighth neunt - ninth zehnt - tenth

elft - eleventh zwölft - twelfth dreizehnt - thirteenth vierzehnt - fourteenth fünfzehnt - fifteenth etc.

zwanzigst - twentieth dreißigst - thirtieth vierzigst - fortieth fünfzigst - fiftieth sechzigst - sixtieth etc. hunderts - hundredth tausentst - thousandth millionst - millionth

 

You may use the ordinals like adjectival nouns with the weak endings. The gender is that of the person or thing that follows::

You may also use them as predicate after 'sein' but here you use the strong adjective endings:

If you do not write the ordinals in letters you put a period behind the cardinal number.

It's the same for the Roman numerals after the name of a king or emperor or pope:

As in the examples I read to you earlier, you will use the ordinals primarily for giving a date; as in English, the Germans use the form "the seventh of June" etc. Remember that the preposition an combines with the article dem: