Understanding Ordinal Numbers in French

Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position of something in a sequence, such as first, second, and third. In French, ordinal numbers are used in much the same way as in English but have some distinctive features. Let's explore how to use and form ordinal numbers in French.

What are Ordinal Numbers?

Ordinal numbers in French express the order of items in a sequence. They are used in dates, lists, and rankings. For example, "le premier" means "the first" and "le deuxième" means "the second." Unlike cardinal numbers (e.g., one, two), ordinal numbers are adjectives and must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

Formation of Ordinal Numbers in French

Basic Formation

The majority of ordinal numbers in French are formed by adding -ième to the cardinal number. However, there are some irregularities and exceptions in their formation.

1. First - le premier (masc.), la première (fem.)
2. Second - le deuxième/la deuxième or le second/la seconde
3. Third - le troisième/la troisième

Note on Gender Agreement

Each ordinal must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. For instance, "la première fois" means "the first time" (feminine), whereas "le premier jour" means "the first day" (masculine).

Exceptions and Special Cases

While many ordinal numbers follow the -ième formation, there are specific exceptions, notably for the numbers 1 (premier/première) and 9 (neuvième not neufième). Keep these in mind when counting in French!

Using Ordinals in Dates

In French, ordinal numbers are often used when writing dates, especially when saying "the first of the month" which is referred to as "le premier." For all other dates, cardinal numbers are typically used.