Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th
Ordinal numbers tell you the position of something in a sequence (first, second, third). Here are the Italian ordinal numbers from first to tenth:
| Number | Ordinal |
|---|---|
| 1st | primo |
| 2nd | secondo |
| 3rd | terzo |
| 4th | quarto |
| 5th | quinto |
| 6th | sesto |
| 7th | settimo |
| 8th | ottavo |
| 9th | nono |
| 10th | decimo |
Unlike regular numbers, ordinal numbers act like standard adjectives. They almost always come before the noun they describe.
| I prefer the third dress, not the first. | Preferisco il terzo vestito, non il primo. |
| The ninth train is late. | Il nono treno è in ritardo. |
Navigating building floors
A very common way to use ordinal numbers is to talk about building floors (il piano). To say you are going "to the" or are "on the" floor, use the combined preposition al (a + il).
| The elevator goes to the second floor. | L'ascensore va al secondo piano. |
| Sir, your room is on the third floor. | Signore, la Sua stanza è al terzo piano. |
If the ordinal number starts with a vowel (like ottavo), the article shrinks to an apostrophe, making the preposition all'.
| You live on the eighth floor, right? | Abiti all'ottavo piano, vero? |
Agreement with feminine nouns
Because ordinal numbers are adjectives, they must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. When paired with a feminine noun, the -o ending changes to -a.
| The fifth lesson is very difficult. | La quinta lezione è molto difficile. |
| The tenth question is easy. | La decima domanda è facile. |
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