Written Ordinals: 5-

Level 3

In writing, 5- means "fifth": 5-sinf is read beshinchi sinf (fifth grade). 2024-yil is read ikki ming yigirma toʻrtinchi yil.

How It Works

Ordinal numbers are made with -(i)nchi: beshinchi (fifth). When you write the number in digits, you do not write the ending. A hyphen stands in its place, and you read the whole ordinal aloud:

  • 5-sinf: beshinchi sinf, fifth grade.
  • 3-qavat: uchinchi qavat, the third floor.
  • 1-sentabr: birinchi sentabr, the first of September.
  • 2024-yil: ikki ming yigirma toʻrtinchi yil, the year 2024.
  • 60-yillar: the sixties.

Dates and years. Uzbek treats the year and the day as ordinals, so both take the hyphen: 2024-yil 1-sentabr. See days, months and dates. In a full formal date, the year takes -ning and the month takes a possessive: 1991-yilning 1-sentabri.

Endings go on the noun. Case and possessive endings attach to the word after the number: 5-sinfda (in fifth grade), 3-qavatga (to the third floor).

Several numbers. Each keeps its own hyphen: 3-, 7-, 8-sinf oʻquvchilari (pupils of the third, seventh and eighth grades).

Roman numerals. They take no hyphen: XX asr (the twentieth century), X sinf (tenth grade).

Ordinal or count? A space means a plain count: 5 ta kitob (five books), with -ta. A hyphen means an order: 5-kitob (the fifth book).

Examples (5)

  1. Men 5-sinfda oʻqiyman.

    I am in fifth grade.

    Word by Word: I 5th-grade-in study-I.

    Read as beshinchi sinfda. The case ending goes on sinf.

  2. Oʻqish 2-sentabrda boshlanadi.

    Classes start on the second of September.

    Word by Word: Study 2nd-September-on begins.

    Read as ikkinchi sentabrda.

  3. U 2020-yilda tugʻilgan.

    She was born in 2020.

    Word by Word: She 2020th-year-in born.

    Years are ordinals: ikki ming yigirmanchi yilda.

  4. Ofisimiz 3-qavatda.

    Our office is on the third floor.

    Word by Word: Office-our 3rd-floor-on.

    Read as uchinchi qavatda.

  5. Bu kitob XX asrda yozilgan.

    This book was written in the twentieth century.

    Word by Word: This book 20th century-in written.

    Roman numerals take no hyphen.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the ordinal ending after the digits.

    5-inchi sinf
    5-sinf

    In digits, the hyphen replaces -inchi completely. Write 5-sinf and read it beshinchi sinf.

  • Writing a year or date without the hyphen.

    2024 yil 1 sentabr
    2024-yil 1-sentabr

    Years and days of the month are ordinals, so each number needs a hyphen.

  • Adding a hyphen after a Roman numeral.

    XX-asr
    XX asr

    Roman numerals already show order, so the spelling rules give them no hyphen.

How It Connects

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

Written Ordinals: 5-Level 3

Learn This First

Builds on Days, Months and Dates.