Class Notes: How to Form Ordinal Numbers in French

Objective

Understand how to form ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) in French, including key patterns, suffixes, and notable exceptions.

1. General Rule for Forming Ordinals

• Add the suffix -ième to the cardinal number.
  • Example: deux (2) → deuxième (2nd)
  • The suffix has an acute accent on the 'e': -ième

2. Important Exceptions and Notes

a. "First" in French

• It does not follow the general pattern.
• There are two forms:
  • Masculine: premier
  • Feminine: première
• Used for the first of something, matching the gender of the noun.

b. Numbers ending in ‘e’

• If the cardinal number ends in ‘e’ (like quatre), remove the final 'e' before adding the suffix.
  • quatre → quatrième (4th)

c. Numbers with Unique Changes

• Fifth (5th):
  • Add a 'u' after 'cinq' before the suffix.
  • cinq → cinquième
• Ninth (9th):
  • Change ‘f’ to ‘v’ in neuf before adding the suffix.
  • neuf → neuvième

3. Regular Pattern Examples

• Second: deux → deuxième
• Third: trois → troisième
• Sixth: six → sixième
• Seventh: sept → septième
• Eighth: huit → huitième
• Tenth: dix → dixième

4. Higher Numbers & Multi-word Ordinals

• For numbers above 10, follow the regular pattern.

  • 20th: vingt → vingtième
  • 80th: quatre-vingts → quatre-vingtième (add suffix to final element)
  • 100th: cent → centième

• For compound numbers (e.g., 46th, 59th):

  • Only apply the ordinal suffix to the last part of the number.
    • 46th: quarante-sixième
    • 59th: cinquante-neuvième
    • 200th: deux centième

5. Special Case: “First” in Compound Ordinals

• For compound ordinals with “first” (e.g., 61st, 71st, 81st), don’t use 'premier/première'. Instead, add the suffix to 'un':
  • 61st: soixante et unième
  • 71st: soixante et onzième, etc.

6. Pattern Recap

- Take the cardinal number
- Remove final "e" if present
- Apply "-ième" as the suffix
- Watch out for the special exceptions: premier/première, cinquième, neuvième
- In compound numbers, add "-ième" to the last element only

7. Additional Resources

• Join the Language Tutor French Facebook group for community support and questions.
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8. Summary

• Most ordinal numbers in French take "-ième"
• "First" is "premier/première"
• Some numbers have minor spelling changes
• In multi-word numbers, suffix only the last word

Bonne chance with your French numbers!