How to Use Ordinal Numbers in Slovak for English Speakers

Understanding Ordinal Numbers in Slovak

Ordinal numbers indicate the position or order of things in a sequence, such as first, second, third, and so on. In Slovak, ordinal numbers are used similarly to English but have unique forms and agreements with nouns.

Basic Ordinal Numbers in Slovak

Here are the first ten ordinal numbers in Slovak with their English equivalents:

Gender and Case Agreement

In Slovak, ordinal numbers must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Slovak has three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. For example, the masculine form of "first" is prvý, feminine is prvá, and neuter is prvé.

Example:
Masculine: prvý deň (first day)
Feminine: prvá hodina (first hour)
Neuter: prvé dieťa (first child)

Forming Ordinal Numbers Beyond Ten

Ordinal numbers beyond ten are generally formed by adding the suffix -ný or -ty to the cardinal number stem, with some irregular forms. For example:

Usage of Ordinal Numbers in Dates and Rankings

Ordinal numbers are commonly used in Slovak to express dates, rankings, floors in buildings, and other ordered lists.

Example - Date:
1. január (first of January)
15. marec (fifteenth of March)

Example - Ranking:
On je druhý v poradí. (He is second in line.)

Writing Ordinal Numbers

In Slovak, ordinal numbers are often written with a number followed by a period to indicate the ordinal form, for example, 1. for "first", 2. for "second", and so on.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Practice Examples

Try translating these English ordinal phrases into Slovak:

• The third book
• The fifth day
• The first woman
• The tenth child

Answers