First, Second and Third
To say first, second, third, use pirmais, otrais, trešais. They work like definite adjectives, so they agree with the noun: pirmais vilciens (the first train), pirmā diena (the first day).
How It Works
1. First to tenth (masculine / feminine):
- 1st pirmais / pirmā
- 2nd otrais / otrā
- 3rd trešais / trešā
- 4th ceturtais / ceturtā
- 5th piektais / piektā
- 6th sestais / sestā
- 7th septītais / septītā
- 8th astotais / astotā
- 9th devītais / devītā
- 10th desmitais / desmitā
Pirmais, otrais, trešais and ceturtais do not look like viens, divi, trīs, četri, so learn them as new words. A few others change a little: seši → sestais, septiņi → septītais, astoņi → astotais, deviņi → devītais.
2. Bigger ordinals. Teens and tens add the ending to the whole word: vienpadsmitais (11th), divdesmitais (20th), simtais (100th). In a compound number, only the last word becomes an ordinal: divdesmit pirmais (21st), trīsdesmit piektā (35th).
3. Cases. Ordinals take every definite ending: pirmajā dienā (on the first day), otro reizi (for the second time), trešajam dēlam (to the third son).
4. Writing ordinals as figures. Put a full stop after the figure: 1. klase (first grade), 5. stāvs (fifth floor), 21. gadsimts (the 21st century). Read it aloud as an ordinal in the right case: 3. klasē = trešajā klasē. Latvian does not add letters as English does with 3rd: write 1997. gads, not 1997-tais gads. Dates work the same way: see saying the date.
Examples (6)
- Šī ir mana pirmā diena darbā.
This is my first day at work.
Diena is feminine: pirmā.
- Mēs dzīvojam otrajā stāvā.
We live on the second floor.
Locative of the definite form: otrais → otrajā.
- Mans brālis mācās trešajā klasē.
My brother is in the third grade.
Word by Word: My brother studies in third class.
- Es esmu Rīgā otro reizi.
I am in Riga for the second time.
Otro reizi is in the accusative. It says which time: pirmo reizi, otro reizi.
- Mūsu dzīvoklis ir 5. stāvā.
Our flat is on the fifth floor.
Read the figure as piektajā stāvā. The full stop shows it is an ordinal.
- Divdesmit pirmajā gadsimtā viss mainās ļoti ātri.
In the twenty-first century, everything changes very fast.
Only the last word, pirmajā, is an ordinal. Divdesmit does not change.
Common Mistakes
Using the counting number instead of the ordinal, when you mean "my first day."
Šī ir mana viena diena darbā.Šī ir mana pirmā diena darbā.Viens counts one thing, so viena diena means "one day". For first, use the ordinal pirmā.
Making every part of a compound number an ordinal.
Viņš dzīvo divdesmitajā pirmajā mājā.Viņš dzīvo divdesmit pirmajā mājā.Only the last word becomes an ordinal: divdesmit pirmajā (21st).
Leaving the ordinal in the nominative.
Mēs dzīvojam otrais stāvā.Mēs dzīvojam otrajā stāvā.The ordinal agrees with the noun in case. Stāvā is locative, so otrais becomes otrajā.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Ordinal numbers take definite endings.
Related Patterns
- Numbers One to Ten
The counting numbers most ordinals come from.
Level 1 - Definite Adjectives in Every Case
The endings ordinals take in other cases: otrajā, otro.
Level 3 - Saying the Date
Dates use an ordinal with the month: divdesmit ceturtais septembris.
Level 3 - simts / tūkstotisHundreds and Thousands
How years such as 2025. gads are read as ordinals.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice First, Second and Third in Bubblegum
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