Ordinal numbers (erste, zweite, dritte, etc.)

What ordinal numbers do (1st, 2nd, 3rd…)

In German, ordinal numbers describe position or order:

• Dates: der siebte Mai (the 7th of May)
• Floors: im dritten Stock (on the 3rd floor)
• Rank/choice: den zweiten Platz (the 2nd place)

How to form ordinals: the quick rule

Tip: The ending is about the number, not the noun.

Common exceptions you must know

• 1: eins → erste (not einste)
• 3: drei → dritte (not dreite)
• 7: sieben → siebte (often drops -en)
• 8: acht → achte (no extra letters)

Ordinals behave like adjectives: the ending changes

Once you have dritt-, erst-, zweit- etc., you decline it like an adjective.

In A1, you will often see these very common patterns:

Mini-check: choose the right form

1. Step 1: Make the ordinal stem: 3 → dritt-, 2 → zweit-, 7 → siebt-.

2. Step 2: Look left: is there a word like im / den / der / die / das?

3. Step 3: Add the adjective ending you already know from A1.

• im … usually ends in -en: im dritten Stock
• den … usually ends in -en: den zweiten Platz
• der (a date) often looks like -e: der siebte Mai

Typical mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• Mixing up -te / -ste: 19 = neunzehnte, but 20 = zwanzigste.

• Forgetting declension: im dritte Stock → im dritten Stock.

• Using the cardinal number: der sieben Mai → der siebte Mai.