Language/Turkish/Vocabulary/Ordinal-Numbers

Turkish Vocabulary → Numbers and Time → Ordinal Numbers

As a Turkish language teacher with 20 years of experience, I want to help you understand how ordinal numbers are used in Turkish. This lesson is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Turkish Course". In this lesson, I assume that you already know the Turkish alphabet, cardinal numbers, and how to tell time. The lesson will cover the following:

• The definition of ordinal numbers in Turkish
• How to form ordinal numbers in Turkish

What are ordinal numbers?

Ordinal numbers are numbers used to indicate the position or order of something. For example, "first", "second", "third", and so on. In Turkish, ordinal numbers are formed by adding an -inci suffix to the cardinal number.

Let's take a look at some examples:

Turkish	Pronunciation	English
birinci	beer-in-dji	First
ikinci	eek-in-dji	Second
üçüncü	ewch-oon-dji	Third
dördüncü	dord-oon-dji	Fourth
beşinci	besh-in-dji	Fifth
altıncı	al-tun-dji	Sixth
yedinci	yay-dun-dji	Seventh
sekizinci	sek-eez-in-dji	Eighth
dokuzuncu	doh-koo-zoon-dju	Ninth
onuncu	oh-nun-dju	Tenth

Now, let's practice forming ordinal numbers.

Forming Ordinal Numbers

To form an ordinal number in Turkish, add -inci to the end of a cardinal number. Make sure to drop the -i from the end of the cardinal number if it is present. Here are some examples:

• bir (one) becomes birinci (first)
• iki (two) becomes ikinci (second)
• yedi (seven) becomes yedinci (seventh)
• dokuz (nine) becomes dokuzuncu (ninth)

Don't forget that some cardinal numbers have irregular ordinal forms:

• ikinci (second)
• üçüncü (third)
• dördüncü (fourth)
• beşinci (fifth)
• onuncu (tenth)

Practice Exercises

Let's practice forming ordinal numbers with some exercises. Write the ordinal form of the given cardinal numbers.

1. on
2. dört
3. altı
4. sekiz
5. bir
6. üç
7. beş
8. yed
9. dokuz
10. yirmi

Answers:

1. onuncu (tenth)
2. dördüncü (fourth)
3. altıncı (sixth)
4. sekizinci (eighth)
5. birinci (first)
6. üçüncü (third)
7. beşinci (fifth)
8. yedinci (seventh)
9. dokuzuncu (ninth)
10. yirminci (twentieth)

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have learned how to form ordinal numbers in Turkish! Keep practicing and using them in your daily life. If you want to learn more about Turkish numbers, don't forget to check out the previous lesson about cardinal numbers and the upcoming lesson about time in the "Complete 0 to A1 Turkish Course".

Sources

• Turkish grammar
• Turkish language

Table of Contents - Turkish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Turkish Alphabet

• Vowels and Consonants
• Pronunciation

  ---

Basic Grammar

• Nouns
• Verbs
• Adjectives
• Pronouns

  ---

Complex Grammar

• Cases
• Participles
• Conditional Sentences

  ---

Everyday Phrases

• Greeting
• Asking for Directions
• Food and Drink
• Shopping

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Cardinal Numbers
• Ordinal Numbers
• Time

  ---

Turkish Culture

• History and Geography
• Traditions and Customs
• Cuisine
• Arts and Festivals

  ---

Daily Life

• Housing
• Family and Relationships
• Religion
• Transportation and Travel