How to Use Ordinal Numbers in Czech for English Speakers

Understanding Ordinal Numbers in Czech

Ordinal numbers indicate the position or order of things in a sequence, such as first, second, third, and so on. In Czech, ordinal numbers are used similarly to English but have unique forms and grammatical rules that learners should understand.

Basic Formation of Ordinal Numbers

In Czech, ordinal numbers are typically formed by adding specific suffixes to the cardinal numbers. They agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. For example, the masculine nominative singular form of "first" is první, while the feminine is první as well, but other ordinal numbers change more distinctly.

Here are the first five ordinal numbers in Czech (masculine nominative singular):

• první (first)
• druhý (second)
• třetí (third)
• čtvrtý (fourth)
• pátý (fifth)

Gender and Case Agreement

Unlike English, Czech ordinal numbers must agree with the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and case (nominative, accusative, genitive, etc.) of the noun they describe. This means the ending of the ordinal number changes depending on the noun's grammatical role in the sentence.

For example, the word for "first" changes as follows in the nominative case:

• Masculine: první
• Feminine: první
• Neuter: první

But in the accusative case for masculine animate nouns, it changes to prvního.

Using Ordinal Numbers in Sentences

Ordinal numbers are commonly used to describe dates, floors in buildings, chapters in books, and ranking positions. For example:

• Bydlím v prvním patře. – I live on the first floor.
• To je druhá kapitola knihy. – This is the second chapter of the book.
• Je to třetí den v týdnu. – It is the third day of the week.

Writing Ordinal Numbers

In Czech, ordinal numbers are often written as cardinal numbers followed by a period to indicate their ordinal status, similar to English. For example, "1." means "first," "2." means "second," and so on.

Example: 3. místo means "third place."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Summary of Key Points

1. Ordinal numbers show position or order in Czech, similar to English.
2. They must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify.
3. Ordinal numbers can be written as cardinal numbers with a period (e.g., 1., 2., 3.).
4. They are used in dates, floors, chapters, rankings, and more.
5. Practice common ordinal numbers and their declensions to avoid mistakes.