Learning to express order and rank is a fundamental skill, and it all begins with the words for “first second third”. In this article, you’ll discover the secrets behind Arabic ordinal numbers, from their basic definition to practical examples that will help you master their use in any situation. Get ready to transform your ability to describe order and sequence with confidence!
Understanding “First Second Third“
Learning how to properly say “first,” “second,” and “third” is a fundamental step in mastering Arabic. These three ordinal numbers are particularly important because they are irregular and form the basis for many other ordinal numbers. Whether you’re talking about the order of events, ranking in a competition, or simply describing a sequence, you’ll find yourself using these words frequently. Getting them right from the start will give you a solid foundation for more complex numbering and a more natural flow in your conversations.
What are Ordinal Numbers in Arabic?
Ordinal numbers are words used to indicate the position of something in a series or order. They answer the question “which?” or “what is its order?”. For example, when we say “the first book,” the word “first” is an ordinal number indicating that this book precedes the others in the sequence.
The Difference Between Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers in Arabic
It’s important to distinguish between ordinal numbers and cardinal numbers. Cardinal numbers are what we use for counting and indicating quantity, such as “one, two, three.” Ordinal numbers, on the other hand, are used to indicate sequence and position, such as “first, second, third.”
Let’s illustrate the difference with a simple example:
- Cardinal Numbers: I bought three pens.
- Ordinal Numbers: This is the third pen I have bought.
As you can see, in the first sentence, “three” refers to the number of pens (quantity), while in the second sentence, “third” refers to the pen’s position in my purchase sequence.
Examples of Ordinal Numbers in Arabic
Here are some common examples of ordinal numbers in Arabic, noting that their form changes to match the gender of the noun they describe (masculine or feminine):
Ordinal Numbers in Arabic from 1 to 10
| Cardinal Number | English Translation | Masculine Ordinal | Feminine Ordinal | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| واحد /waaHid/ | One | الأول /alʼawwah/ | الأولى /alʼoolah/ | First |
| اثنان /ithnaan/ | Two | الثاني /athaanee/ | الثانية /athaaniyah/ | Second |
| ثلاثة /thalaathah/ | Three | الثالث /athaalith/ | الثالثة /athaalithah/ | Third |
| أربعة /ʼarbaʻah/ | Four | الرابع /arraabiʻ/ | الرابعة /arraabiʻah/ | Fourth |
| خمسة /khamsah/ | Five | الخامس /alkhaamis/ | الخامسة /alkhaamisah/ | Fifth |
| ستة /sittah/ | Six | السادس /assaadis/ | السادسة assaadisah | Sixth |
| سبعة /sabʻah/ | Seven | السابع /assaabiʻ/ | السابعة /assaabiʻah/ | Seventh |
| ثمانية /thamaaniyah/ | Eight | الثامن /athaamin/ | الثامنة /athaaminah/ | Eighth |
| تسعة /tisʻah/ | Nine | التاسع /attaasiʻ/ | التاسعة /attaasiʻah/ | Ninth |
| عشرة /ʻashrah/ | Ten | العاشر /alʻaashir/ | العاشرة /alʻaashrah/ | Tenth |
Examples in Useful Sentences:
- He is the first student in the class. – هو الطالب الأول في الصف – (huwa iTTalib ilʼawwal fee iSSaf)
- This is the second story I have read this week. – هي القصة الثانية الّتي أقرأها هذا الأسبوع – (hiya ilqiSSah ithaaniyah illatee ʼaqraʼhaa haTHaa ilʼusbooʻ)
- The third competitor reached the finish line. – وصل المتسابق الثالث إلى خط النِّهاية – (waSal ilmutasaabiq ithaalith ʼilaa khat innihaayah)
- I visited the fourth city on this trip. – زرت المدينة الرَّابعة في هذه الرِّحلة – (zurt ilmadeenah irrabiʻah fee haTHih irriHlah)
- This is the fifth time I have tried to solve this problem. – إنها المرَّة الخامسة الّتي أحاول فيها حل هذهِ المسألة – (ʼinnahaa ilmarrah ilkhaamisah illatee ʼuHaawil feehaa Hal haTHihi ilmushkilah)
Ordinal Numbers in Arabic from 11 to 19
Ordinal numbers from 11 to 19 follow a pattern similar to cardinal numbers with the addition of “عشر” (ashar) for masculine and “عشرة” (ashara) for feminine. The first part of the number often takes the forms “الحادي” (al-haadi) for masculine and “الحادية” (al-haadiya) for feminine for the number one, “الثاني” (ath-thaani) and “الثانية” (ath-thaaniya) for the number two, and so on.
| Cardinal Number | English Translation | Masculine Ordinal | Feminine Ordinal | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| أحد عشر /ʼHada ʻashr/ | Eleven | الحادي عشر /alHaadee ʻashr/ | الحادية عشرة /alHaadiyah ʻashrah/ | Eleventh |
| اثنا عشر /ithnaa ʻashr/ | Twelve | الثاني عشر /athaanee ʻashr/ | الثانية عشرة /athaaniyah ʻashrah/ | Twelfth |
| ثلاثة عشر /thalaathata ʻashr/ | Thirteen | الثالث عشر /athaalith ʻashr/ | الثالثة عشرة /athaalithah ʻashrah/ | Thirteenth |
| أربعة عشر /ʼarbaʻatah ʻashr/ | Fourteen | الرابع عشر /arrabiʻ ʻashr/ | الرابعة عشرة /arrabiʻah ʻashrah/ | Fourteenth |
| خمسة عشر /khamsata ʻashr/ | Fifteen | الخامس عشر /alkhaamis ʻashr/ | الخامسة عشرة /alkhaamisah ʻashrah/ | Fifteenth |
| ستة عشر /sittata ʻashr/ | Sixteen | السادس عشر /assaadis ʻashr/ | السادسة عشرة /assaadisah ʻashrah/ | Sixteenth |
| سبعة عشر /sabʻata ʻashr/ | Seventeen | السابع عشر /assaabiʻ ʻashr/ | السابعة عشرة /assaabiʻah ʻashrah/ | Seventeenth |
| ثمانية عشر /thamaaniyata ʻashr/ | Eighteen | الثامن عشر /athaamin ʻashr/ | الثامنة عشرة /athaaminah ʻashrah/ | Eighteenth |
| تسعة عشر /tisʻata ʻashr/ | Nineteen | التاسع عشر /attaasiʻ ʻashr/ | التاسعة عشرة /attaasiʻah ʻashrah/ | Nineteenth |
Examples in Useful Sentences:
- This is the eleventh lesson in this course. – إنَّه الدَّرس الحادي عشر في هذه الدَّورة – (ʼinnahu iddars ilHaadee ʻashr fee haTHihi iddwrah)
- The twelfth competitor was the winner of the prize. – كانت المتسابقة الثَّانية عشرة هي الفائزة بالجائزة – (kaanat ilmutasaabiqa ithaaniyah ʻashrah hiya ilfaaʼizah biljaaʼizah)
Ordinal Numbers in Arabic for Tens
| Cardinal Number | English Translation | Masculine/Feminine Ordinal | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| عشرون /ʻishroon/ | Twenty | العشرون /alʻishroon/ | Twentieth |
| ثلاثون /thalaathoon/ | Thirty | الثَّلاثون /athalaathoon/ | Thirtieth |
| أربعون /ʼrbaʻoon/ | Forty | الأربعون /alʼarbaʻoon/ | Fortieth |
| خمسون /khamsoon/ | Fifty | الخمسون /alkhamsoon/ | Fiftieth |
| ستون /sittoon/ | Sixty | السِّتون /assitoon/ | Sixtieth |
| سبعون /sabʻoon/ | Seventy | السَّبعون /assabʻoon/ | Seventieth |
| ثمانون /thamaanoon/ | Eighty | الثَّمانون /athamaanoon/ | Eightieth |
| تسعون /tisʻoon/ | Ninety | التِّسعون /attisʻoon/ | Ninetieth |
| مئة /miʼah/ | Hundred | المئة /almiʼah/ | Hundredth |
Examples in Useful Sentences:
- We are celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the company’s founding. – نحتفل بالذكرى العشرين لتأسيس الشَّركة – (naHtafil bilTHikrah ilʻishreen litaʼsees isharikah)
- This is the thirtieth page of the book. – هذه هي الصَّفحة الثَّلاثون من الكتاب – (haTHih hiya iSSafHah ithalaathoon min ilkitaab)
Important Notes on Using Ordinal Numbers in Arabic
In Arabic, ordinal numbers follow the noun they describe in gender (masculine/feminine), grammatical case, and definiteness (definite/indefinite).
- Gender Agreement: As seen in the examples, the ordinal number must agree in gender with the noun it describes. If the noun is masculine, the ordinal number is masculine, and if the noun is feminine, the ordinal number is feminine.
- Grammatical Case: Ordinal numbers act as adjectives describing the noun they modify and follow it in grammatical case (nominative, accusative, genitive).
- Definiteness: Ordinal numbers can be definite (with ” الـ ” – al-) or indefinite (without ” الـ “) depending on the context of the sentence.
Conclusion
We hope this article has clarified the concept of ordinal numbers in Arabic and the difference between them and cardinal numbers. Remember to practice using these numbers in various sentences to solidify your understanding. Comprehending “first second third” and all other ordinal numbers examples is a significant step towards mastering the Arabic language. Keep learning and practicing, and you will become more fluent and confident in using Arabic day by day!
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