Ordinal Numbers in French

What Are Ordinal Numbers?

Ordinal numbers in French are adjectives that indicate the position or order of objects in a sequence. They answer the question "Which one?" in terms of order. For example, "first" (premier/première) tells us that something or someone is at the beginning of a list or sequence.

Basic Ordinal Numbers in French

The following table lists the basic ordinal numbers in French from first to tenth, which will cover most of your everyday needs:

Forming Ordinal Numbers Beyond Tenth

To form ordinal numbers beyond tenth in French, you simply add the suffix "-ième" to the cardinal number. However, there are a few exceptions and points to note:

• For numbers ending in "e", remove the "e" before adding "-ième".
• The word for twenty, "vingt", becomes "vingtième".
• The word for one hundred, "cent", becomes "centième".

Ordinal Numbers in French 1-20

Ordinal numbers in French from 1 to 20 are used to indicate the order of items in a sequence. The first thing to note is that the French for "first" is unique, and after that, most ordinal numbers just add "-ième" to the cardinal number. However, there are a few irregularities to watch out for.

Key Points to Remember:

• "First" in French is "premier" (masculine) or "première" (feminine).
• From 2 onwards, add "-ième" to the cardinal number, with a few exceptions.
• For numbers ending in "e," drop the "e" before adding "-ième."
• "Nine" (neuf) changes to "neuvième" and "five" (cinq) changes to "cinquième" for pronunciation ease.

Below is a table listing ordinal numbers from 1 to 20 in French. Note the abbreviation and the full word, which changes slightly depending on whether it's used in a masculine or feminine context for number 1:

Ordinal Numbers in French 1-30

Focusing on the range of 1-30, the same principles apply. Pay special attention to the formation of numbers 21, 31, etc., where "et un" becomes "et unième" to signify "and first."

Number	Ordinal Form (French)
1	Premier
2	Deuxième
3	Troisième
4	Quatrième
5	Cinquième
6	Sixième
7	Septième
8	Huitième
9	Neuvième
10	Dixième
11	Onzième
12	Douzième
13	Treizième
14	Quatorzième
15	Quinzième
16	Seizième
17	Dix-septième
18	Dix-huitième
19	Dix-neuvième
20	Vingtième
21	Vingt et unième
22	Vingt-deuxième
23	Vingt-troisième
24	Vingt-quatrième
25	Vingt-cinquième
26	Vingt-sixième
27	Vingt-septième
28	Vingt-huitième
29	Vingt-neuvième
30	Trentième

Ordinal Numbers in French 1-50

Expanding our range to 1-50, remember the base rule of adding "-ième" with the necessary adjustments for pronunciation and spelling exceptions noted earlier.

Nombre	Ordinal
1	premier
2	deuxième
3	troisième
4	quatrième
5	cinquième
6	sixième
7	septième
8	huitième
9	neuvième
10	dixième
11	onzième
12	douzième
13	treizième
14	quatorzième
15	quinzième
16	seizième
17	dix-septième
18	dix-huitième
19	dix-neuvième
20	vingtième
21	vingt et unième
22	vingt-deuxième
23	vingt-troisième
24	vingt-quatrième
25	vingt-cinquième
26	vingt-sixième
27	vingt-septième
28	vingt-huitième
29	vingt-neuvième
30	trentième
31	trente et unième
32	trente-deuxième
33	trente-troisième
34	trente-quatrième
35	trente-cinquième
36	trente-sixième
37	trente-septième
38	trente-huitième
39	trente-neuvième
40	quarantième
41	quarante et unième
42	quarante-deuxième
43	quarante-troisième
44	quarante-quatrième
45	quarante-cinquième
46	quarante-sixième
47	quarante-septième
48	quarante-huitième
49	quarante-neuvième
50	cinquantième

Ordinal Numbers in French 1-100

Moving up to 100, the pattern established continues. Remember, for numbers like 100 ("cent"), the ordinal form is "centième."

Key Points to Remember:

• Apply the basic rule, and remember the special treatment for numbers like "first."
• For compound numbers (21, 31, etc.), only the last number changes to its ordinal form.
• "Hundred" (cent) becomes "centième" in its ordinal form.

Number	Ordinal (Masculine/Feminine)
1-50	Refer to the previous tables
51	cinquante et unième
...	...
60	soixantième
61	soixante et unième
...	...
70	soixante-dixième
71	soixante et onzeième
...	...
80	quatre-vingtième
81	quatre-vingt-unième
...	...
90	quatre-vingt-dixième
91	quatre-vingt-onzième
...	...
100	centième

Forming Basic Ordinal Numbers

The general rule for creating ordinal numbers in French is quite simple: add "-ième" to the cardinal number. This rule applies seamlessly to most numbers, transforming them into their ordinal counterparts, which are used to indicate order.

Simple Transformations:

• Deux (two) becomes deuxième (second)
• Huit (eight) transforms into huitième (eighth)

However, when a cardinal number ends with an "e", this "e" is dropped before attaching the "-ième".

When to Drop the "e":

• Quatre (four) changes to quatrième (fourth)
• Seize (sixteen) becomes seizième (sixteenth)

Special Rules for Certain Numbers

Not all numbers follow the basic rule. The number one and some others have unique changes.

Unique Cases:

• Un (one) has a special form: premier (first) for masculine and première (first) for feminine.
• For cinq (five), add a "u" to become cinquième (fifth).
• Neuf (nine) sees its final "f" change to a "v" before adding "-ième", resulting in neuvième (ninth).

Royal Titles and Ordinal Numbers

In French, royal titles often use Roman numerals, but when written out, cardinal numbers are used instead of ordinal numbers, with "premier" being the notable exception.

Examples with Royal Titles:

• Napoléon I is Napoléon Premier
• Charles II is written as Charles Deux

Expressing Dates in French

When it comes to dates, French predominantly uses cardinal numbers, making it a unique exception compared to English. The first of the month is the only date that uses an ordinal number.

Date Examples:

• 01/12/1995 is said as Le premier décembre 1995.
• 02/08/1995 is expressed as Le deux août 1995.

Special Cases and Exceptions

• The ordinal form of one (1) changes based on gender: "premier" for masculine nouns and "première" for feminine nouns.
• When forming ordinal numbers for numbers ending in "s" or "x", like "six" or "deux", there's no need to remove these letters; simply add "-ième".

Using Ordinal Numbers in Sentences

Ordinal numbers in French must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. Here are a few examples to demonstrate their use in sentences:

• Le premier train (The first train) - masculine singular
• La première fois (The first time) - feminine singular
• Les premiers jours (The first days) - masculine plural
• Les premières années (The first years) - feminine plural

Practice Makes Perfect

Now that you're familiar with the basics of ordinal numbers in French, it's time to practice. Try creating sentences using ordinal numbers to describe the order of objects or events. Remember, like any other aspect of learning a new language, mastering ordinal numbers comes with practice and patience.