How to Use Romanian Ordinal Numbers for English Speakers

Understanding Romanian Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers in Romanian indicate the position or order of things, similar to English (first, second, third, etc.). They are essential for dates, rankings, and sequences. Unlike English, Romanian ordinal numbers agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Basic Formation of Ordinal Numbers

Romanian ordinal numbers are generally formed by adding specific endings to the cardinal numbers. The endings change depending on the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun.

Here are the masculine singular endings for the first ten ordinal numbers:

• primul (first)
• al doilea (second)
• al treilea (third)
• al patrulea (fourth)
• al cincilea (fifth)
• al șaselea (sixth)
• al șaptelea (seventh)
• al optulea (eighth)
• al nouălea (ninth)
• al zecelea (tenth)

For feminine singular, the endings change slightly, for example: "prima" (first), "a doua" (second), "a treia" (third).

Using Ordinal Numbers in Sentences

In Romanian, ordinal numbers usually come after the definite article and before the noun. For example:

• primul băiat – the first boy
• a doua fată – the second girl
• al treilea copil – the third child

Note that for masculine singular, the ordinal number is preceded by al, and for feminine singular by a. The definite article is attached to the ordinal number itself.

Ordinal Numbers in Plural and Different Genders

Ordinal numbers must agree with the noun in gender and number. Here are examples for plural forms:

• masculine plural: primii (the first ones)
• feminine plural: primele (the first ones)

For example:

• primii băieți – the first boys
• primele fete – the first girls

Common Romanian Ordinal Numbers

Tips for English Speakers Learning Romanian Ordinal Numbers

Remember that Romanian ordinal numbers change form based on gender and number, unlike English where they remain the same. Pay attention to the definite article al or a that precedes the ordinal number, as it is an important grammatical feature.