SCH: Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers in German act as adjectives. As adjectives, they take adjective endings.

  • To form ordinal numbers in German, add -t or -st to the cardinal number. Some ordinals have irregular forms.

Ordinal numbers are abbreviated in German by placing a period after the number. Examples: 2. = 2nd / 3. = 3rd / etc.

  • The period indicates that the number is ordinal and that the adjective endings must be attached.

Examples:

Kardinale

  • 5 = fünf five
  • 4 = vier four
  • 6 = sechs six
  • 13 = dreizehn thirteen
  • 17 = siebzehn seventeen

Ordinale

  • 5. = fünft- fifth
  • 4. = viert- fourth
  • 6. = sechst- sixth
  • 13. = dreizehnt- thirteenth
  • 17. = siebzehnt- seventeenth

Note the period following ordinal numbers in German. The period indicates the equivalent of the English th.

Be aware of the irregularities in the system. The ordinal forms for first, third, seventh, and eighth must be memorized.

Kardinale

  • 1 = eins (one)
  • 3 = drei (three)
  • 7 = sieben (seven)
  • 8 = acht (eight)

Ordinale

  • 1. = erst (first)
  • 3. = dritt (third)
  • 7. = siebt (seventh)
  • 8. = acht (eighth)

In German, ordinal numbers up to 19 take the ending t:

Kardinale

  • 2 = zwei
  • 3 = drei
  • 4 = vier
  • 5 = fünf
  • 6 = sechs
  • 7 = sieben
  • 8 = acht
  • 9 = neun
  • 10 = zehn
  • 11 = elf
  • 12 = zwölf
  • 13 = dreizehn
  • 14 = vierzehn
  • 15 = fünfzehn
  • 16 = sechzehn
  • 17 = siebzehn
  • 18 = achtzehn
  • 19 = neuzehn

Ordinale

  • 2. = zweit- second
  • 3. = dritt- third
  • 4. = viert- fourth
  • 5. = fünft- fifth
  • 6. = sechst- sixth
  • 7. = siebt- seventh
  • 8. = acht- eight
  • 9. = neunt ninth
  • 10. = zehnt- tenth
  • 11. = elft- eleventh
  • 12. = zwölft- twelfth
  • 13. = dreizehnt- thirteenth
  • 14. = vierzehnt- fourteenth
  • 15. = fünfzehnt- fifteenth
  • 16. = sechzehnt- sixteenth
  • 17. = siebzehnt- seventeenth
  • 18. = achtzehnt- eighteenth
  • 19. = neunzehnt- nineteenth

Practice Listening Activity - Die Schulen in Deutschland und in Amerika

Let's watch now a video interview with a German exchange student who recently spent a year at a high school in Georgia. After watching the interview, try to answer the following questions with the German terms used in the interview.

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION