Portuguese Lessons

Aprenda Português

Ordinal Numbers - Números Ordinais

Ordinal numbers are used to express the position or order in a sequence. In English the ordinal numbers from 1 to 10 are: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth. See the equivalents in Portuguese. Note that in Portuguese the ordinal numbers have feminine and masculine forms.

Ordinal Numbers are used to refer to the floors in a building, to place positions in a competition etc.

Examples:

Eu moro no terceiro andar. (I live on the third floor).

In the chart below study the pronunciation of the Ordinal Numbers. Click the arrow to hear the sound of each word.

In Portuguese the ordinal numbers are not used to express the days of the month. People use the word “primeiro” just for the first day and cardinal numbers (dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis…) for the other days.

Examples:

• date: 11/01/2006:  Primeiro de novembro de dois mil e seis. (literal translation: First of November of two thousand six)

• date: 11/09/2005:  Nove de novembro de dois mil e seis. (literal translation: Nine of November of two thousand six)