Ordinal Numbers

Level 2

Esimene, teine and kolmas mean first, second and third. From third on, most ordinals end in -s: neljas, viies, kümnes.

How It Works

The first ten:

  • 1. esimene (esimese, esimest)
  • 2. teine (teise, teist)
  • 3. kolmas (kolmanda, kolmandat)
  • 4. neljas, 5. viies, 6. kuues, 7. seitsmes, 8. kaheksas, 9. üheksas, 10. kümnes

Bigger ones follow the same pattern: 11. üheteistkümnes, 20. kahekümnes, 100. sajas, 1000. tuhandes.

The -s becomes -nda-. From the genitive on, the final -s is replaced by -nda-: kolmas → kolmanda, kolmandat, kolmandal; kümnes → kümnenda; sajas → sajanda. Esimene and teine decline like other -ne words: esimese, esimest; teise, teist.

Agreement. An ordinal agrees with its noun in case, like an adjective: kolmas korrus (the third floor), kolmandal korrusel (on the third floor), esimesest päevast (from the first day).

Ordinals of several words. Only the last word is an ordinal and declines. The words before it stay in the genitive: 21. kahekümne esimene, 35. kolmekümne viies, 121. saja kahekümne esimene.

Writing with digits. Put a period after the digit: 3. korrus, 21. sajand, 50. sünnipäev. The period is what makes it an ordinal: 30 päeva is thirty days, but 30. päev is the thirtieth day. Roman numerals take no period: XX sajand.

To ask about order, use mitmes? (which one in order?), with forms mitmenda, mitmendal. Note that teine also means "other, another".

Examples (6)

  1. Me elame kolmandal korrusel.

    We live on the third floor.

    Kolmas → kolmandal, agreeing with korrusel.

  2. See on minu esimene päev tööl.

    This is my first day at work.

  3. Ta tuli võistlusel teiseks.

    She came second in the competition.

    Placing in a race uses the translative: teiseks.

  4. Kontor on 5. korrusel.

    The office is on the 5th floor.

    Read as viiendal korrusel.

  5. Me elame 21. sajandil.

    We live in the 21st century.

    Read as kahekümne esimesel sajandil: only the last word is an ordinal.

  6. Esimene tund algab kell kaheksa.

    The first lesson starts at eight.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the ordinal in the nominative when the noun is in another case.

    Me elame kolmas korrusel.
    Me elame kolmandal korrusel.

    The ordinal agrees with its noun. In the adessive, kolmas becomes kolmandal.

  • Leaving out the period after the digit.

    Ta elab 3 korrusel.
    Ta elab 3. korrusel.

    Without the period, 3 korrusel is read as kolmel korrusel, "on three floors". The period marks the ordinal.

  • Using the nominative for the first part of a compound ordinal.

    See juhtus kakskümmend esimesel sajandil.
    See juhtus kahekümne esimesel sajandil.

    In a compound ordinal the earlier words stay in the genitive, and only the last word is an ordinal.

How It Connects

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Ordinal NumbersLevel 2

Learn This First

Ordinals are built from the cardinal numbers.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-sesimeneteinekolmasneljasviieskümnes