Ordinal numbers are used to show the order or rank, like first, second, third, and so on. In Spanish, only the ordinal numbers up to tenth are commonly used. However, Spanish does have ordinal numbers that go beyond tenth and, in this article, we are going to have a look at these Spanish ordinal numbers.
Spanish Ordinal Numbers
To express order beyond tenth, the cardinal numbers (
Es la edición número veinticinco.
It’s the 25th edition.
Vamos en ascensor, porque vivimos en la planta veintisiete.
We take the lift because we live on the 27th floor.
So it is enough to learn the ordinal numbers up to 10th only until you are comfortable with them. Most speakers avoid Spanish ordinal numbers from 10th on. However, they exist and you can learn how to form them using the following guidelines.
From 10th to 19th
The Spanish ordinal numbers 11th to 19th are as follows:
| ORDINAL NUMBERS 10th-19th | |
| 11º | |
| 12º | |
| 13º | |
| 14º | |
| 15º | |
| 16º | |
| 17º | |
| 18º | |
| 19º |
As you can see, both 11th and 12th have two different forms. Then, for ordinal numbers from 13th to 19th, we use a combination of
Ordinal numbers are placed before nouns, and they are always used after a determiner (article, quantifier, demonstrative, possessive…). Remember they should always agree with the noun they are modifying in number and gender.
| SINGULAR | PLURAL | |
| 19º (with masculine nouns) | ||
| 19ª (with feminine nouns) |
Esta es su duodécima película.
This is his twelfth movie.
La escritora presenta su decimoquinta novela.
The writer introduces her fifteenth novel.
Este es su decimosexto trabajo.
This is his sixteenth job.
Elisa celebra hoy su decimoctavo cumpleaños.
Today Elisa celebrates her eighteenth birthday.
From 20th to 100th
For the tens, the Spanish ordinal numbers are as follows:
| ORDINAL NUMBERS (tens) | |
| 20º | |
| 30º | |
| 40º | |
| 50º | |
| 60º | |
| 70º | |
| 80º | |
| 90º | |
| 100º |
For compound ordinal numbers between 20th and 100th, we use the ordinal number ending in –
El vigésimo quinto aniversario de mis padres es mañana.
My parents’ 25th anniversary is tomorrow.
Celebro mi septuagésimo cumpleaños en un restaurante japonés.
I celebrate my seventieth birthday in a Japanese restaurant.
Aquellos chicos están haciendo la trigésima tercera dieta del año.
Those boys are doing the 33rd diet of the year.
Nosotros trabajamos en la cuadragésima quinta planta de este edificio.
We work on the 45th floor of this building.
Ending with 1st and 3rd with Nouns
The Spanish ordinal numbers that end with
| SINGULAR | PLURAL | |
| 21º (with masculine nouns) | ||
| 21ª (with feminine nouns) |
Es el vigésimo primer libro que escribo.
It is the 21st book that I write.
Es la vigésima primera novela de este autor.
It is the 21st novel from this author.
| SINGULAR | PLURAL | |
| 63º (with masculine nouns) | ||
| 63ª (with feminine nouns) |
Es el sexagésimo tercer premio que recibe.
It is the 63rd prize that she receives.
Su sexagésima tercera novela es maravillosa.
Her 65rd novel is worderful.
Exercises
Let’s do some exercises to practice Spanish ordinal numbers from 10th on. If you want to continue doing exercises on numbers, you can practice ordinal numbers (1th-10th), and cardinal numbers from 0 to 100, from 100 to 1000 and the ones over 1000.