Italian ordinal numbers

Italian ordinal numbers correspond to the English number first, second, third, fourth... While cardinal numbers never change, ordinal numbers behave like adjectives and agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.

Ordinal numbers above tenth are formed by adding the suffix –esimo to the cardinal numbers after dropping the final vowel. There is an exception for the numbers ending in tré and sei that keep the final vowel (ventitreesimo, ventiseiesimo).

Examples:

• Abito al quinto piano. = I live on the fifth floor.

• Per andare in banca, può prendere la seconda strada a destra. = To go to the bank you can take the second street on the right

• Mi sono piaciute solo le prime pagine del libro. = I liked only the first few pages of the book

• I primi due finalisti sono due atleti italiani. = The first two finalists are two Italian athletes

Abbreviations are written with a small ° (masculine) or ª (feminine).

• il 2° piano = the second floor
• la 5^a strada = the fifth street