Dates with Ordinal Numerals

Level 4Sounds Like dati z porâdkovim čislívnikom

Ukrainian dates use ordinal numerals (1st, 2nd) rather than cardinal numbers. The day is usually neuter (agreeing with the implied word число), and the month is always in the genitive case.

How It Works

In Ukrainian, expressing dates requires careful attention to case and numeral type. Unlike English, which can use 'January one' or 'January first', Ukrainian strictly uses ordinal numerals.

  • The Day: The day is treated as a neuter adjective because it modifies the implied noun число (number/date). For example, 'the first' is перше.
  • The Month: The month always follows the day and must be in the genitive case (e.g., січня, лютого).
  • Expressing 'On': To say something happens on a specific day, you use the bare genitive for both the day and the month. Do not use prepositions like в or на. For example: десятого травня (on the tenth of May).
  • The Year: Years are also ordinals. In a full date, the year is in the genitive (дві тисячі двадцять четвертого року). If you are just saying 'in [year]', use the locative case with the preposition у/в (у дві тисячі двадцять четвертому році).
  • Compound Numbers: In years like 1995, only the very last word ('five') becomes an ordinal ('fifth') and changes its ending. The rest stay as cardinal numbers.

Examples (4)

  1. Сьогодні двадцять четверте серпня.

    Today is the twenty-fourth of August.

    Word by Word: Today [is] twenty fourth [neuter] August [genitive].

    When stating what today is, the day is in the nominative neuter (двадцять четверте) and the month is genitive (серпня).

  2. Ми зустрінемося третього березня.

    We will meet on the third of March.

    Word by Word: We will-meet third [genitive] March [genitive].

    To say 'on' a date, use the genitive case for the day (третього) without any preposition. Note that 'третій' is a soft-stem numeral.

  3. Він народився першого січня дві тисячі першого року.

    He was born on the first of January, 2001.

    Word by Word: He was-born first [genitive] January [genitive] two thousand first [genitive] year [genitive].

    In a full date, every component (day, month, and the final word of the year) is in the genitive case.

  4. Україна здобула незалежність у тисяча дев'ятсот дев'яносто першому році.

    Ukraine gained independence in the year 1991.

    Word by Word: Ukraine gained independence in thousand nine-hundred ninety first [locative] year [locative].

    When saying 'in a year', use the locative case. Only the last word 'першому' (first) declines; the rest remain cardinal.

Common Mistakes

  • Using cardinal numbers for the day.

    Сьогодні двадцять чотири серпня.
    Сьогодні двадцять четверте серпня.

    Dates must use ordinal numerals (24th), not cardinal numbers (24).

  • Using a preposition for 'on a date'.

    Я приїду в десяте травня.
    Я приїду десятого травня.

    Ukrainian uses the bare genitive case to express 'on a date'. Using 'в' is a common error influenced by other languages.

  • Declining every word in a compound year.

    у двох тисячах двадцять четвертому році
    у дві тисячі двадцять четвертому році.

    Only the final word of a compound ordinal numeral declines. The preceding words must stay in their base cardinal form.

How It Connects

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Dates with Ordinal NumeralsLevel 4

Learn This First

To express dates, learners must understand that ordinal numerals function grammatically like adjectives and follow their declension patterns. Additionally, they need to know how to use the genitive case for the month and how to handle compound numbers where only the last word changes form.

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