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Questions & Answers about Leemos el quinto libro.
Why is it quinto libro and not quint libro?
Would quinto change if the word we were reading wasn't a book?
Yes! Ordinal numbers act like adjectives, so they must match the gender of the noun they describe. If we were reading the fifth letter (la carta), it would be la quinta carta.
Why does quinto come before libro? I thought Spanish adjectives go after the noun.
Normal descriptive adjectives usually go after the noun (like el libro rojo for 'the red book'). However, ordinal numbers like quinto (fifth) are an exception and almost always go before the noun, just like they do in English.
How do we know Leemos means 'we are reading' instead of just 'we read'?
In Spanish, the simple present tense (leemos) can translate to both 'we read' (as a regular habit) and 'we are reading' (happening right now). You don't always need to use a separate '-ing' verb form; context usually tells you which one makes the most sense.