Ordinal Numbers in Spanish

Overview

Ordinal numbers tell you the position or order of something: first, second, third, and so on. In Spanish, the ordinal numbers from 1st to 10th are used frequently in everyday conversation -- you will hear them when talking about floors in a building, steps in a recipe, rankings, and more. Beyond 10th, Spanish speakers typically switch to cardinal numbers, which simplifies things considerably.

At the CEFR A1 level, you need to know the ordinals from primero to décimo. A key feature of Spanish ordinals is that they are adjectives, which means they agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Two of them -- primero and tercero -- also have a special shortened form before masculine singular nouns.

How It Works

The ten ordinal numbers

Ordinal	Masculine	Feminine	English
1st	primero	primera	first
2nd	segundo	segunda	second
3rd	tercero	tercera	third
4th	cuarto	cuarta	fourth
5th	quinto	quinta	fifth
6th	sexto	sexta	sixth
7th	séptimo	séptima	seventh
8th	octavo	octava	eighth
9th	noveno	novena	ninth
10th	décimo	décima	tenth

Gender and number agreement

Like other adjectives, ordinals match the gender and number of their noun:

• el primer*o piso* → el primer piso (the first floor -- masculine)
• la primer*a vez* (the first time -- feminine)
• los primer*os días* (the first days -- masculine plural)
• las primer*as semanas* (the first weeks -- feminine plural)

Shortened forms: primer and tercer

Primero and tercero drop the final -o when they come directly before a masculine singular noun:

Full form	Shortened form	Example
primero	primer	el primer día (the first day)
tercero	tercer	el tercer piso (the third floor)

This shortening does NOT happen with feminine or plural forms:

• la primera vez (not la primer vez)
• los primeros días (not los primer días)

Position

Ordinals usually go before the noun, but can come after it in formal or literary contexts:

• el segundo capítulo (the second chapter) -- common
• el capítulo segundo (chapter two) -- formal

Beyond 10th

In everyday Spanish, ordinals beyond 10th are rarely used. Instead, speakers use cardinal numbers after the noun:

• el piso once (the 11th floor) -- not el undécimo piso
• la página veintitrés (page 23)

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
La primera vez.	The first time.	feminine
El segundo piso.	The second floor.	masculine
El tercer día.	The third day.	shortened form
Los primeros días.	The first days.	masculine plural
La quinta avenida.	Fifth Avenue.	feminine
Es mi primera clase.	It's my first class.	feminine
Vivo en el cuarto piso.	I live on the fourth floor.	masculine
La segunda oportunidad.	The second chance.	feminine
El octavo mes del año.	The eighth month of the year.	masculine
Las primeras semanas son difíciles.	The first weeks are hard.	feminine plural

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to shorten primero and tercero

• Wrong: el primero día
• Right: el primer día
• Why: Before a masculine singular noun, primero and tercero must drop their final -o.

Shortening before feminine nouns

• Wrong: la primer vez
• Right: la primera vez
• Why: The shortened forms primer and tercer are only used before masculine singular nouns. Feminine nouns always get the full form.

Forgetting gender agreement

• Wrong: la segundo vez
• Right: la segunda vez
• Why: Ordinals are adjectives and must agree in gender with their noun. Vez is feminine, so you need segunda.

Practice Tips

• Learn them as pairs. Practice the masculine and feminine together: primero/primera, segundo/segunda. This reinforces the agreement pattern.

• Use them with real contexts. Think about floors in a building, months of the year, or steps in a routine: Primero desayuno, segundo me ducho, tercero salgo de casa.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Cardinal Numbers -- Know the basic numbers before learning their ordinal counterparts