French Ordinal Numbers: Complete Guide from Premier to Centième

French Ordinal Numbers: Complete Guide from Premier to Centième

When ordering your thoughts, giving directions, talking about historical centuries, or following a recipe, French ordinal numbers (les nombres ordinaux) are essential. While cardinal numbers (un, deux, trois) express quantities, ordinal numbers indicate rank, order, or sequence (premier, deuxième, troisième).

If you already know basic counting in French, forming ordinal numbers is surprisingly straightforward. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn the golden formation rules, spelling adjustments, key exceptions, and standard abbreviations.

1. The Core Rule: Adding the -ième Suffix

In English, ordinal numbers use various suffixes: -st, -nd, -rd, and -th (first, second, third, fourth). French is much more consistent! For almost every number above one, you simply add -ième to the cardinal number.

• Deux (2) $\rightarrow$ Deuxième (2nd)
• Trois (3) $\rightarrow$ Troisième (3rd)
• Six (6) $\rightarrow$ Sixième (6th)
• Dix (10) $\rightarrow$ Dixième (10th)
• Cent (100) $\rightarrow$ Centième (100th)

Essential Spelling Adjustments

To keep French pronunciation smooth and phonetic, watch out for three basic adjustments:

1. Drop the final silent "e": If a cardinal number ends in an "e", drop it before adding -ième.

• Quatre $\rightarrow$ Quatrième (4th)
• Onze $\rightarrow$ Onzième (11th)
• Douze $\rightarrow$ Douzième (12th)
• Trente $\rightarrow$ Trentième (30th)

2. Change "f" to "v": The unvoiced "f" turns into a voiced "v".

• Neuf $\rightarrow$ Neuvième (9th)
• Dix-neuf $\rightarrow$ Dix-neuvième (19th)

3. Add a "u" after "q" in cinq: To preserve the hard /k/ sound.

• Cinq $\rightarrow$ Cinquième (5th)

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2. The Major Irregular: Premier vs. Unième

Just like "first" in English, the number 1 has its own unique root in French:

• Masculine: Premier (ex.: le premier train)
• Feminine: Première (ex.: la première fois)

However, when 1 is part of a compound number (21st, 31st, 41st, etc.), you return to the root un combined with -ième, joined by the conjunction et:

• 21st: Vingt et unième
• 31st: Trente et unième
• 71st: Soixante et onzième
• 101st: Cent unième

Note: Unlike premier, compound forms ending in -unième do not change form between masculine and feminine (e.g., la vingt et unième page).

3. Deuxième vs. Second: Which One Should You Use?

French has two words for "second": deuxième and second (feminine: seconde, pronounced /sə.ɡɔ̃d/).

• Second / Seconde is traditionally reserved for situations where there are only two items in total, and no third exists.
• Example: La Seconde Guerre mondiale (World War II — hoping there is no third).
• Example: Prendre la seconde porte (when there are only two doors in the corridor).
• Deuxième is strictly used when there is a third, fourth, or larger sequence.
• Example: Il habite au deuxième étage (He lives on the 2nd floor, and there is a 3rd floor above).

In everyday spoken French, natives frequently use deuxième everywhere, but distinguishing between the two is an excellent sign of advanced proficiency.

4. French Ordinal Numbers & Correct Abbreviations

English speakers frequently make typographical errors with French abbreviations by writing 2nd or 3rd. In French, ordinal abbreviations rely on small letters (preferably superscripted):

Pro-Tip on Typography: While you might see 2ème or 3ème in informal handwriting or advertising, French typographic standards specify that only a single "e" should follow numbers from 2 upwards: 2e, 3e, 10e.

5. Common Cultural Pitfalls

Be mindful of how French handles sequences in context:

• Calendar Dates: Only use an ordinal for the 1st of the month (le 1er juin). For all subsequent days, use normal cardinal numbers: le 2 juin, le 15 juillet (never le deuxième juin).
• Monarchs & Popes: Written with Roman numerals, but pronounced as ordinals only for the first! For others, use cardinal numbers.
• Henri IV = Henri quatre (not quatrième)
• Élisabeth II = Élisabeth deux (not deuxième)
• François Ier = François premier
• Centuries: Always formatted with Roman numerals and read as ordinals.
• Le XIXe siècle = Le dix-neuvième siècle.

Practice forming these numbers in your daily studies, and you will describe sequences, rankings, and dates like a native French speaker!