पहिलो / दोस्रो / तेस्रो

Ordinal Numbers

Level 2Sounds Like pahilō, dōsrō ra tēsrō

Ordinals tell the order: पहिलो (first), दोस्रो (second), तेस्रो (third), चौथो (fourth) and from five on -औँ.

How It Works

Ordinals say the order of things. The first four have their own words and end in -ो: पहिलो (first), दोस्रो (second), तेस्रो (third) and चौथो (fourth).

They change like other -ो adjectives: पहिलो दिन (first day) and पहिली छोरी (first daughter). A woman is described with the -ी form: उनी मेरी पहिली शिक्षक हुन् (she is my first teacher). In speech the -ी form is optional.

From five on, add -औँ to the number, with small changes for some: पाँचौँ (fifth), छैटौँ (sixth), सातौँ (seventh), आठौँ (eighth), नवौँ (ninth) and दसौँ (tenth). These forms stay the same for every noun: पाँचौँ दिन, पाँचौँ तला.

The ordinal comes before the noun, as an adjective does: यो मेरो दोस्रो पटक हो (this is my second time). Use the ordinal with पटक, दिन, तला (floor) and कक्षा (class).

Examples (4)

  1. यो मेरो दोस्रो पटक हो।

    This is my second time.

    दोस्रो comes before पटक.

  2. म तेस्रो तलामा बस्छु।

    I live on the third floor.

    तेस्रो is followed by तला and मा.

  3. उनी मेरी पहिली शिक्षक हुन्।

    She is my first teacher.

    पहिली agrees with a woman.

  4. आज मेरो पाँचौँ दिन हो।

    Today is my fifth day.

    पाँचौँ is the -औँ form for five.

Common Mistakes

  • Learners add -औँ to the first four ordinals.

    म चौथौँ तलामा बस्छु।
    म चौथो तलामा बस्छु।

    चौथो ends in -ो. The -औँ ending starts at five.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

पहिलो / दोस्रो / तेस्रोLevel 2Ordinal Numbers

Learn This First

Ordinals come from numbers.