Forming Ordinal Numbers
To say "first," "second," "third," etc., Turkish uses the suffix -(I)ncI attached to the end of a number. This suffix follows four-way vowel harmony, appearing as -ıncı, -inci, -uncu, or -üncü.
Two spelling rules to remember:
- Numbers ending in a vowel: The first vowel of the suffix drops. For example, iki
- inci becomes ikinci (not ikiinci).
- Consonant mutation: The number dört (four) changes its final t to a d, becoming dördüncü.
| Number | Ordinal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bir | birinci | first |
| iki | ikinci | second |
| üç | üçüncü | third |
| dört | dördüncü | fourth |
| beş | beşinci | fifth |
| altı | altıncı | sixth |
Floors of a Building
Ordinal numbers are commonly used to state which floor an apartment or office is on. Note that the "ground floor" does not use a number; it is called the zemin kat.
| Is the elevator going down to the ground floor? | Asansör zemin kata iniyor mu? |
| Our office is not on the ground floor, it is on the first floor. | Bizim ofisimiz zemin katta değil, birinci katta. |
| Our new apartment is on the fourth floor. | Yeni dairemiz dördüncü katta. |
Competitions and Rankings
You will also use ordinal numbers to state ranks (derece) in a competition (yarışma).
| There is a big prize for the first and second team. | Birinci ve ikinci takım için büyük bir ödül var. |
Rankings are often paired with specific medals (madalya): gold (altın), silver (gümüş), and bronze (bronz).
| The first group is getting a gold medal. | Birinci grup altın madalya alıyor. |
| There is a silver medal for the second person. | İkinci kişi için gümüş madalya var. |
| Is the third team getting a bronze medal? | Üçüncü takım bronz madalya alıyor mu? |
| There is no gold medal for the sixth team. | Altıncı takım için altın madalya yok. |
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