Ordinal Numbers in German

Overview

Ordinal numbers indicate position or order: first, second, third, and so on. In German, ordinal numbers (Ordinalzahlen) are formed by adding -te to numbers 1-19 and -ste to numbers 20 and above. As an A2 topic, ordinal numbers are essential for talking about dates, rankings, floors, and sequences in everyday German.

What makes German ordinal numbers slightly more complex than their English counterparts is that they function as adjectives. This means they take adjective endings that change depending on the case, gender, and whether a definite or indefinite article precedes them. For example, "the first book" is das erste Buch, but "my first book" is mein erstes Buch.

A few ordinal numbers are irregular and must be memorized: erste (first), dritte (third), siebte (seventh), and achte (eighth). The rest follow the regular pattern predictably.

How It Works

Forming Ordinal Numbers

Number	Cardinal	Ordinal (stem)	Rule
1	eins	erst-	irregular
2	zwei	zweit-	regular (-t)
3	drei	dritt-	irregular
4	vier	viert-	regular (-t)
5	fünf	fünft-	regular (-t)
7	sieben	siebt-	irregular (drops -en)
8	acht	acht-	irregular (no extra -t)
19	neunzehn	neunzehnt-	regular (-t)
20	zwanzig	zwanzigst-	regular (-st)
100	hundert	hundertst-	regular (-st)

With Adjective Endings

Context	Example	Translation
Definite article (nom.)	der erste Tag	the first day
Definite article (acc.)	den zweiten Stock	the second floor
Indefinite article (nom.)	ein drittes Mal	a third time
Possessive (nom.)	mein erstes Auto	my first car
After nothing (nom.)	als Dritter	as (the) third

Writing Dates

In German, dates use ordinal numbers written with a period after the number:

• 1. Mai = der erste Mai (May 1st)
• 3. Oktober = der dritte Oktober (October 3rd)
• Heute ist der 25. Dezember. = Today is December 25th.

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Das ist mein erstes Auto.	This is my first car.	Neuter, nominative
Heute ist der zweite Mai.	Today is May 2nd.	Date format
Er kam als Dritter an.	He arrived third.	Nominalized ordinal
Ich wohne im dritten Stock.	I live on the third floor.	Dative after in + dem
Das ist das vierte Mal.	This is the fourth time.	Neuter, nominative
Sie ist die Erste in der Klasse.	She is first in the class.	Nominalized, feminine
Nehmen Sie die zweite Straße links.	Take the second street on the left.	Giving directions
Am fünften Januar habe ich Geburtstag.	My birthday is on January 5th.	Dative for dates with am
Der siebte Tag der Woche ist Sonntag.	The seventh day of the week is Sunday.	Irregular: siebt-
Das achtzehnte Jahrhundert.	The eighteenth century.	Regular: achtzehnt-

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the irregular forms

• Wrong: der einste Tag
• Right: der erste Tag
• Why: Erste (first), dritte (third), siebte (seventh), and achte (eighth) are irregular and must be memorized.

Omitting adjective endings

• Wrong: mein erst Auto
• Right: mein erstes Auto
• Why: Ordinal numbers behave as adjectives and must take the appropriate adjective ending for gender, case, and article type.

Confusing the period in written dates

• Wrong: Am 3 Mai or Am 3rd Mai
• Right: Am 3. Mai
• Why: German uses a period after the numeral to indicate an ordinal, not "st," "nd," "rd," or "th" as in English.

Practice Tips

1. Practice saying dates aloud in German. Pick random dates from a calendar and say them as full sentences: "Heute ist der [ordinal] [month]." Pay attention to the adjective ending.
2. Learn the irregular ordinals (erst-, dritt-, siebt-, acht-) separately, then practice the regular pattern (-te for 2-19, -ste for 20+) until it becomes automatic.

Related Concepts

• Numbers and Time — the parent concept covering the German number system and time expressions