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Es la primera vez.

Es la primera vez.
It is the first time.
From Lesson 57:Ordinal numbers 1st to 10th (primero, segundo, tercero)·Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of Es la primera vez.

primero
first
la vez
the time / the occasion

Questions & Answers about Es la primera vez.

Why is it primera and not primer or primero?
Primera means "first". Because the noun it describes (vez) is feminine, the ordinal number has to match it. You only drop the "o" to make the short form primer when it comes right before a masculine singular noun (like el primer día).
Wait, how do I know vez is feminine? It doesn't end in "a".
Not all feminine words end in "a"! Words ending in -z can be masculine or feminine. Vez happens to be feminine, which is why we use la and primera. It is best to memorize it as a chunk: la vez.
Could I say "el primer tiempo" to mean "the first time"?
No, because vez and tiempo mean different things in Spanish. Vez means "time" as in an instance or an occasion (like "this time" or "one time"). Tiempo is used for the concept of time (like hours passing) or the weather.
Why do we use es here instead of está?
Es comes from the verb ser, which we use to identify things or talk about events and time. We use estar for temporary states, feelings, or locations. Since we are identifying this event as "the first time", es is the correct choice.

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