Ordinal numbers in Italian are the words for first, second, third, fourth, and so on — and they're essential for talking about floors of buildings, dates, rankings, centuries, and steps in any sequence. The first ten are irregular and worth memorizing as a block: primo, secondo, terzo, quarto, quinto, sesto, settimo, ottavo, nono, decimo. From eleven onward, the pattern becomes mechanical — drop the final vowel of the cardinal number and add -esimo: undici → undicesimo (eleventh), venti → ventesimo (twentieth), cento → centesimo (hundredth). One small wrinkle: numbers ending in -tré keep the accent (ventitré → ventitreesimo) and numbers ending in -sei keep both vowels (sedici → sedicesimo).
Unlike cardinal numbers, ordinals behave like adjectives and agree in gender and number with the noun they modify: il primo giorno (the first day), la prima volta (the first time), i primi posti (the first places), le prime ore (the first hours). In the exercises below you'll practice forming and matching ordinals across all four endings, using them in real contexts like il terzo piano (the third floor), il secondo capitolo (the second chapter), and Carlo Quinto (Charles V — Italians use Roman numerals after monarch names but read them as ordinals). One key cultural note: for dates, Italians use cardinal numbers except for the first of the month — il primo gennaio (January 1st) but il due gennaio, il tre gennaio (not il secondo, il terzo).
Ordinal numbers indicate position or rank in a sequence: first, second, third, etc. In Italian, ordinal numbers are adjectives, which means they must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. The first ten ordinals are irregular and must be memorized, while from 11th onwards a regular pattern applies.
| Number | Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1° | primo | prima | primi | prime | first |
| 2° | secondo | seconda | secondi | seconde | second |
| 3° | terzo | terza | terzi | terze | third |
| 4° | quarto | quarta | quarti | quarte | fourth |
| 5° | quinto | quinta | quinti | quinte | fifth |
| 6° | sesto | sesta | sesti | seste | sixth |
| 7° | settimo | settima | settimi | settime | seventh |
| 8° | ottavo | ottava | ottavi | ottave | eighth |
| 9° | nono | nona | noni | none | ninth |
| 10° | decimo | decima | decimi | decime | tenth |
From 11th onwards, ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -esimo/-esima/-esimi/-esime to the cardinal number. If the cardinal ends in a vowel, drop the final vowel before adding -esimo. For example: undici → undicesimo (11th), dodici → dodicesimo (12th), venti → ventesimo (20th), cento → centesimo (100th). Exception: numbers ending in -tré (like ventitré) keep the accent and the vowel: ventitreesimo (23rd).
| Number | Cardinal | Ordinal (m.sg.) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11° | undici | undicesimo | eleventh |
| 12° | dodici | dodicesimo | twelfth |
| 13° | tredici | tredicesimo | thirteenth |
| 14° | quattordici | quattordicesimo | fourteenth |
| 15° | quindici | quindicesimo | fifteenth |
| 16° | sedici | sedicesimo | sixteenth |
| 17° | diciassette | diciassettesimo | seventeenth |
| 18° | diciotto | diciottesimo | eighteenth |
| 19° | diciannove | diciannovesimo | nineteenth |
| 20° | venti | ventesimo | twentieth |
Ordinal numbers have several specific uses in Italian: Dates: Only 'primo' is used for the first day of the month (il primo gennaio). All other dates use cardinal numbers (il due febbraio, il tre marzo). Popes and monarchs: Roman numerals are used in writing, but the full ordinal is spoken. Papa Giovanni XXIII is read as 'Papa Giovanni ventitreesimo'. Carlo V is 'Carlo quinto'. Centuries: Il ventunesimo secolo = the 21st century. Italians also use shortened forms: il Duecento (the 1200s), il Trecento (1300s), il Quattrocento (1400s), il Cinquecento (1500s). Floors: il primo piano = the first floor above ground. The ground floor is 'il pianterreno', so 'il primo piano' is what Americans call the second floor.
1. Ordinals agree in gender and number: il primo giorno, la prima volta, i primi studenti, le prime pagine. 2. From 11th onwards: drop the final vowel of the cardinal, then add -esimo (e.g., dodici → dodicesimo). 3. Exception: cardinals ending in -tré keep the vowel and the accent: ventitré → ventitreesimo. 4. For dates, only 'primo' is ordinal; all others are cardinals: il primo maggio, but il due giugno. 5. Abbreviations: 1° / 1ª (first), 2° / 2ª (second), 3° / 3ª (third) — ° for masculine, ª for feminine.
10 exercises · 0 completed
Ordinal Numbers 1st–5th: Recognition
10 questions
Ordinal Numbers 6th–10th: Recognition
10 questions
Identifying Ordinals 1st–10th in Context
10 questions
Translating Ordinals 1st–10th
10 questions
Fill in the Ordinal: 1st–10th
10 questions
Ordinals in Everyday Phrases
10 questions
Ordinal Numbers: Which Word Fits?
10 questions
Spot the Error in Ordinal Usage
10 questions
Complete the Sentence with the Right Ordinal (1st–10th)
10 questions
Ordinals 1st–10th: Mixed Practice
10 questions
10 exercises · 0 completed
Gender Agreement: Masculine vs Feminine Ordinals
10 questions
Plural Agreement: Masculine and Feminine Plural Ordinals
10 questions
Agreement Practice: Fill in the Correct Ordinal Form
10 questions
Ordinals with Articles: Choosing the Right Combination
10 questions
Ordinal Agreement in Full Sentences
10 questions
Agreement in Real Sentences: Singular and Plural
10 questions
Ordinal Agreement: Feminine Forms Focus
10 questions
Ordinal Agreement: Masculine Forms Focus
10 questions
Ordinal Numbers in Competition and Rankings
10 questions
Gender and Number Agreement: Fill in the Ordinal
10 questions
10 exercises · 0 completed
Forming Ordinals 11th–20th
10 questions
Ordinals 16th–20th: Formation
10 questions
Ordinals 11th–20th: Recognition and Use
10 questions
Ordinals 21st and Beyond: Formation Rules
10 questions
Fill in the Ordinal: 11th–20th
10 questions
Ordinals 11th–20th: Identifying Errors
10 questions
Ordinals 11th–20th: Translation Practice
10 questions
Ordinals 11th–20th: Mixed Comprehension
10 questions
Higher Ordinals: 21st–100th
10 questions
Fill in the Ordinal: Higher Numbers (21st–100th)
10 questions
10 exercises · 0 completed
Ordinals in Buildings and Floors
10 questions
Ordinals with Dates: Using 'Primo'
10 questions
Ordinals with Popes, Monarchs, and Rulers
10 questions
Ordinals in Rankings, Competitions, and Prizes
10 questions
Ordinals in Context: Practical Sentences
10 questions
Ordinals in Chapters, Books, and Series
10 questions
Ordinals with Centuries and Historical Context
10 questions
Ordinals in Everyday Situations
10 questions
Ordinals: Comprehensive Practical Review
10 questions
Practical Uses: Dates, Floors, Rankings — Fill in the Blank
10 questions
10 exercises · 0 completed
Abbreviations of Ordinal Numbers
10 questions
Ordinals with Abbreviations and Written Forms
10 questions
Ordinals: Complex Sentence Contexts
10 questions
Ordinals: Error Correction and Critical Thinking
10 questions
Mixed Ordinals: Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Ordinals in Italian Culture and History
10 questions
Ordinals: Translating from English to Italian
10 questions
Ordinals: Listening and Reading Comprehension
10 questions
Ordinals: Advanced Mixed Practice
10 questions
Final Review: Ordinal Numbers in All Contexts
10 questions
Stuck on Ordinal Numbers? Get 25 minutes with a native speaker — €1.
Pasqualino Ferrari (Super Squalo) teaches you 1-on-1 via video call. No commitment, no package.
The first ten are: primo, secondo, terzo, quarto, quinto, sesto, settimo, ottavo, nono, decimo. From eleventh on, drop the final vowel of the cardinal and add -esimo: undicesimo, ventesimo, centesimo. They agree in gender and number: la prima volta, i primi giorni.
Use them for ranking, floors, centuries, and monarchs: "il terzo piano" (third floor), "il ventesimo secolo" (the 20th century), "Luigi XIV" (Luigi quattordicesimo). For dates, Italians use cardinals except for the first: "il primo maggio" but "il due maggio".
Use a small superscript ° for masculine and ª for feminine: 1° (primo), 1ª (prima), 3° piano (third floor), 1ª classe (first class). Roman numerals are common for centuries and monarchs: il XXI secolo, Vittorio Emanuele II.
A2 Topics