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German Grammar Guidebook

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Ordinal Numbers

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Ordinal numbers are adjectives that indicate the order of like things in a sequence.
 

My first trip to Germany.
Their second child.

German ordinal numbers are always used attributively, i.e. always take endings. Their pattern of formation is as follows:

IRREGULAR
 

first erst-
third dritt-

ADD -T TO NUMERAL
 

second zweit-
fourth viert-
fifth fünft-
sixth sechst-
seventh siebent-, siebt-
eighth acht-
ninth neunt-
tenth zehnt-
eleventh elft-
twelfth zwölft-
thirteenth dreizehnt-
fourteenth vierzehnt-
fifteenth fünfzehnt-
sixteenth sechzehnt-
seventeenth siebzehnt-
eighteenth achtzehnt-
nineteenth neunzehnt-

ADD -ST TO NUMERAL (FROM 20 TO 100)
 

twentieth zwanzigst-
twenty first einzundzwanzigst-

Notes: Still higher ordinals repeat the cycle already established for numbers from 1 to 20, e.g.
 

hunderterst-, hundertzweit-, hundertdritt- ...
hundertneunzehnt-, hundertzwanzigst-, usw.

Dates

Write dates in German with ordinal numbers. Dates are masculine. To express "on the first of January," use either the accusative phrase or the prepositional phrase with "am."

MEANING: THE FIRST OF JANUARY
 

Der erste Januar ist ein Montag. The first of January is a Monday.
Heute ist der erste Januar. Today is the first of January.

MEANING: ON THE FIRST OF JANUARY
 

Mike ist den ersten Januar hier. Mike will be here on the first of January.
Ich bin am ersten Januar gekommen. I came on the first of January.

When you write dates with numerals, use a period for the ordinal suffix and adjective ending. When you speak, you must pronounce both the ordinal suffix and the adjective endings.
 

as written: der 1. Januar
as spoken: der erste Januar
 
as written: den 12. Januar
as spoken: den zwölften Januar
 
as written: am 31. Januar
as spoken: am einunddreißigsten Januar


Examples of Ordinal Numbers

  • Ja, Sie nehmen die Rolltreppe da runter, rechts herum und laufen dann eine zweite Treppe hinunter.
  • Sie haben Zimmer 452, im vierten Stock. Wie lange wollen Sie bei uns bleiben?
  • Sie gehen hier geradeaus bis zur ersten ... zweiten ... dritten Querstraße.