Ordinal Numbers from 20 Onwards
For numbers 1 through 19, you form the ordinal by adding -te to the number. From 20 onwards, add -ste:
- 20th: zwanzigste
- 21st: einundzwanzigste
- 30th: dreißigste
- 50th: fünfzigste
- 100th: hundertste
When used as the subject (nominative case) with der, die, or das, the ordinal simply ends in -ste.
| Today is the 20th of October. | Heute ist der zwanzigste Oktober. |
| The 100th guest wins a present. | Der hundertste Gast gewinnt ein Geschenk. |
Anniversaries and the Accusative Case
Just like smaller numbers, higher ordinals act like adjectives. When you use a masculine ordinal as a direct object (accusative case), the article der changes to den, and the ordinal takes an -n, becoming -sten.
This is especially common when celebrating milestones like a birthday (der Geburtstag) or an anniversary (der Jahrestag).
| We are celebrating the 20th anniversary. | Wir feiern den zwanzigsten Jahrestag. |
| We are celebrating my grandpa's 50th birthday. | Wir feiern den fünfzigsten Geburtstag von meinem Opa. |
Centuries and Exact Dates with "am" and "im"
Words like das Jahrhundert (century), der Krieg (war), and die Revolution (revolution) often appear with exact dates.
Using am (on the) for dates or im (in the) for centuries triggers the dative case. This means your ordinal adds an -n, becoming -sten.
- das einundzwanzigste Jahrhundert (the 21st century) → im einundzwanzigsten Jahrhundert (in the 21st century)
- der dreißigste November (the 30th of November) → am dreißigsten November (on the 30th of November)
| We live in the 21st century. | Wir leben im einundzwanzigsten Jahrhundert. |
| The revolution was on the 30th of November. | Die Revolution war am dreißigsten November. |
