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What are German Ordinal Numbers 1st–10th?

Ordinal numbers (Ordinalzahlen) express position or ranking—'first', 'second', 'third' and so on. In German, ordinals are adjectives that must agree in gender and case with the noun they describe.

Short answer

German ordinals 1st–10th are: erste (1st), zweite (2nd), dritte (3rd), vierte (4th), fünfte (5th), sechste (6th), siebte (7th), achte (8th), neunte (9th), zehnte (10th). They are adjectives and change ending based on the noun's gender and case.

German Ordinals: Form & Agreement

1
Cardinal base
Start with cardinal: eins, zwei, drei…
↓
2
Add -te or -te/-ter
erste, zweite, dritte (1–3 are irregular), vierte, fünfte (4+ add -te)
↓
3
Adjective agreement
Change ending by gender (m/f/n) and case (nom/acc/dat/gen)
↓
4
Example
Der erste Mann (m.nom), die zweite Frau (f.nom), das dritte Buch (n.nom)

Step-by-step worked examples

How do you say 'the first book' in German (nominative, masculine)?

First = erste (base form for masculine nominative).
The masculine nominative article = der.
Sentence: Das ist der erste Tag. (This is the first day.)

Write 'the second woman' in German (nominative, feminine).

Second = zweite (base form for feminine nominative).
The feminine nominative article = die.
Sentence: Die zweite Frau sitzt dort. (The second woman sits there.)

How is 'ninth' (neunte) used in the dative case for a neuter noun?

Ninth = neunte (base), dative neuter = -en ending → neunten.
Example: Ich gebe es dem neunten Kind. (I give it to the ninth child.)

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Which is the correct ordinal for 'fourth' in German?

Correct answer: A. 'Vierte' is the base form of the 4th ordinal (masculine nominative singular).

Q2.How do you say 'the third girl' in German (nominative, feminine)?

Correct answer: B. Feminine + nominative = 'die' + 'dritte'. The article 'die' shows feminine, 'dritte' is the ordinal.

Q3.What is the 7th ordinal in German?

Correct answer: B. 'Siebte' is the base form (m.nom singular). Higher numbers (7+) add -te to the cardinal.

Q4.Which ordinals (1–10) are IRREGULAR in German?

Correct answer: A. Only 1st, 2nd, and 3rd are irregular (erste, zweite, dritte). From 4th onward, ordinals follow the rule of adding -te.

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Common mistakes

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Saying 'einte' for 'first' or 'zwite' for 'second'. — Correct: 1st is 'erste', 2nd is 'zweite', 3rd is 'dritte'. These are irregular and must be memorized.

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Forgetting ordinals are adjectives and don't need case/gender agreement. — Correct: Ordinals must agree with the noun: 'der erste Mann' (m.nom), 'die erste Frau' (f.nom), 'das erste Kind' (n.nom).

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Mixing up ordinal endings (adding -en to nominative). — Correct: Nominative singular endings vary: -e (m), -e (f), -es (n). Dative/accusative/genitive change the ending (e.g., -en for dative).

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Using ordinals without understanding gender/case. — Correct: Always check the noun's gender and case, then adjust the ordinal ending. Example: 'dem ersten Freund' (dative masculine singular).

FAQ

Are German ordinal numbers adjectives?

Yes. Ordinals (erste, zweite, dritte, vierte…) are adjectives that must agree in gender and case with the noun they modify.

Which ordinals (1–10) are irregular?

The first three: erste (1st), zweite (2nd), dritte (3rd). From vierte (4th) onward, ordinals follow a predictable pattern.

How do you form German ordinals from 4th onward?

Add -te to the cardinal number: vier → vierte, fünf → fünfte, sechs → sechste, sieben → siebte, acht → achte, neun → neunte, zehn → zehnte.

Do ordinal endings change with case?

Yes, just like regular adjectives. Nominative 'der erste', dative 'dem ersten', accusative 'den ersten', genitive 'des ersten'.