Lesson 58: Ordinal Numbers

Step 1 of 5: Learn

A cardinal answers how many?; an ordinal answers which one in the row?. In Arabic the ordinal is an adjective, so it comes after its noun and agrees with it: اَلدَّرْسُ الثَّالِثُ the third lesson, اَلصَّفْحَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ the third page. There is no polarity here, which makes ordinals easier than cardinals. The shape to learn is فَاعِلٌ: ثَالِثٌ, رَابِعٌ, خَامِسٌ.

First to tenth

All except أَوَّلُ / أُولَى are on the pattern فَاعِل; the feminine adds ة.
Ordinal	Masculine	Feminine
the first	اَلْأَوَّلُal-awwalu	اَلْأُولَىal-ūlā
the second	اَلثَّانِيath-thānī	اَلثَّانِيَةُath-thāniyatu
the third	اَلثَّالِثُath-thālithu	اَلثَّالِثَةُath-thālithatu
the fourth	اَلرَّابِعُar-rābiʿu	اَلرَّابِعَةُar-rābiʿatu
the fifth	اَلْخَامِسُal-khāmisu	اَلْخَامِسَةُal-khāmisatu
the sixth	اَلسَّادِسُas-sādisu	اَلسَّادِسَةُas-sādisatu
the seventh	اَلسَّابِعُas-sābiʿu	اَلسَّابِعَةُas-sābiʿatu
the eighth	اَلثَّامِنُath-thāminu	اَلثَّامِنَةُath-thāminatu
the ninth	اَلتَّاسِعُat-tāsiʿu	اَلتَّاسِعَةُat-tāsiʿatu
the tenth	اَلْعَاشِرُal-ʿāshiru	اَلْعَاشِرَةُal-ʿāshiratu

Rule 1: 1. Ordinals are adjectives

From second to tenth the ordinal is فَاعِلٌ built on the root of the cardinal (خَمْسَةٌ → خَامِسٌ); sixth shows the older root س د س, سَادِسٌ. First is أَوَّلُ, feminine أُولَى, a diptote. ثَانٍ ends in a weak letter: اَلثَّانِي with the article, ثَانٍ without it. The ordinal follows its noun and agrees in gender, case and definiteness. It may also stand first as an iḍāfa with an indefinite noun: أَوَّلُ يَوْمٍ the first day, ثَالِثُ دَرْسٍ the third lesson.

اَلدَّرْسُ الْأَوَّلُ سَهْلٌ وَالدَّرْسُ الْعَاشِرُ صَعْبٌ.
ad-darsu-l-awwalu sahlun wa-d-darsu-l-ʿāshiru ṣaʿbun
The first lesson is easy and the tenth lesson is difficult.
قَرَأْتُ الصَّفْحَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ وَالصَّفْحَةَ الثَّالِثَةَ.
qaraʾtu-ṣ-ṣafḥata-th-thāniyata wa-ṣ-ṣafḥata-th-thālithata
I read the second page and the third page.
Accusative agreement.
صَفِّي فِي الطَّابِقِ الرَّابِعِ.
ṣaffī fi-ṭ-ṭābiqi-r-rābiʿi
My classroom is on the fourth floor.
Genitive agreement after فِي.
هٰذَا أَوَّلُ يَوْمٍ فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ وَذٰلِكَ آخِرُ يَوْمٍ.
hādhā awwalu yawmin fi-l-madrasati wa-dhālika ākhiru yawmin
This is the first day at school and that is the last day.
Ordinal in iḍāfa; آخِرُ 'last' behaves the same way.
هِيَ التِّلْمِيذَةُ الْأُولَى فِي صَفِّهَا.
hiya-t-tilmīdhatu-l-ūlā fī ṣaffihā
She is the first pupil in her class.

Eleventh to nineteenth

The article goes on the first part only; both parts keep a fixed fatḥa in every case. 'Eleventh' uses حَادِي, not أَوَّل.
Ordinal	Masculine	Feminine
the eleventh	اَلْحَادِيَ عَشَرَal-ḥādiya ʿashara	اَلْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَal-ḥādiyata ʿashrata
the twelfth	اَلثَّانِيَ عَشَرَath-thāniya ʿashara	اَلثَّانِيَةَ عَشْرَةَath-thāniyata ʿashrata
the thirteenth	اَلثَّالِثَ عَشَرَath-thālitha ʿashara	اَلثَّالِثَةَ عَشْرَةَath-thālithata ʿashrata
the fourteenth	اَلرَّابِعَ عَشَرَar-rābiʿa ʿashara	اَلرَّابِعَةَ عَشْرَةَar-rābiʿata ʿashrata
the fifteenth	اَلْخَامِسَ عَشَرَal-khāmisa ʿashara	اَلْخَامِسَةَ عَشْرَةَal-khāmisata ʿashrata
the sixteenth	اَلسَّادِسَ عَشَرَas-sādisa ʿashara	اَلسَّادِسَةَ عَشْرَةَas-sādisata ʿashrata
the seventeenth	اَلسَّابِعَ عَشَرَas-sābiʿa ʿashara	اَلسَّابِعَةَ عَشْرَةَas-sābiʿata ʿashrata
the eighteenth	اَلثَّامِنَ عَشَرَath-thāmina ʿashara	اَلثَّامِنَةَ عَشْرَةَath-thāminata ʿashrata
the nineteenth	اَلتَّاسِعَ عَشَرَat-tāsiʿa ʿashara	اَلتَّاسِعَةَ عَشْرَةَat-tāsiʿata ʿashrata

Rule 2: 2. Eleventh to nineteenth are indeclinable

Like the cardinals 11–19, these compounds never change their endings: اَلدَّرْسُ الْحَادِيَ عَشَرَ the eleventh lesson in the nominative, فِي الدَّرْسِ الْحَادِيَ عَشَرَ in the genitive. Only the article shows that the word is definite, and only the ة of the first part and the form عَشْرَةَ show the feminine.

نَحْنُ فِي الدَّرْسِ الْحَادِيَ عَشَرَ.
naḥnu fi-d-darsi-l-ḥādiya ʿashara
We are in the eleventh lesson.
اِقْرَأِ الصَّفْحَةَ الثَّالِثَةَ عَشْرَةَ.
iqraʾi-ṣ-ṣafḥata-th-thālithata ʿashrata
Read the thirteenth page.
اَلسَّطْرُ الْخَامِسَ عَشَرَ طَوِيلٌ.
as-saṭru-l-khāmisa ʿashara ṭawīlun
The fifteenth line is long.
Nominative noun, but the ordinal keeps its fatḥa.
وُلِدَتْ أُخْتِي فِي الْيَوْمِ التَّاسِعَ عَشَرَ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ.
wulidat ukhtī fi-l-yawmi-t-tāsiʿa ʿashara mina-sh-shahri
My sister was born on the nineteenth day of the month.

Rule 3: 3. Twentieth and above

From twenty on, the tens, hundreds and thousands have no special ordinal: the cardinal with the article serves, اَلْعِشْرُونَ the twentieth, اَلْمِائَةُ the hundredth. In compounds the unit is an ordinal with the article, then وَ, then the ten with the article: اَلْحَادِي وَالْعِشْرُونَ the twenty-first, اَلثَّانِيَةُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ the thirty-second (feminine). Here everything declines: the unit like an adjective, the ten like a sound plural: فِي الدَّرْسِ الْحَادِي وَالْعِشْرِينَ.

هٰذَا هُوَ الدَّرْسُ الثَّامِنُ وَالْخَمْسُونَ.
hādhā huwa-d-darsu-th-thāminu wa-l-khamsūna
This is the fifty-eighth lesson.
بَيْتُنَا هُوَ الْبَيْتُ الْعِشْرُونَ فِي الشَّارِعِ.
baytunā huwa-l-baytu-l-ʿishrūna fi-sh-shāriʿi
Our house is the twentieth house in the street.
قَرَأْنَا الصَّفْحَةَ الْحَادِيَةَ وَالْعِشْرِينَ.
qaraʾna-ṣ-ṣafḥata-l-ḥādiyata wa-l-ʿishrīna
We read the twenty-first page.
Accusative: الْحَادِيَةَ, and the ten in its oblique form.
جَدِّي فِي السَّنَةِ الْخَامِسَةِ وَالسَّبْعِينَ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ.
jaddī fi-s-sanati-l-khāmisati wa-s-sabʿīna min ʿumrihi
My grandfather is in the seventy-fifth year of his life.
اَلصَّفْحَةُ الْمِائَةُ هِيَ آخِرُ صَفْحَةٍ فِي الْكِتَابِ.
aṣ-ṣafḥatu-l-miʾatu hiya ākhiru ṣafḥatin fi-l-kitābi
The hundredth page is the last page in the book.

Compound ordinals

Ordinal unit + وَ + cardinal ten, all with the article.
Ordinal	Masculine	Feminine
the twentieth	اَلْعِشْرُونَ	اَلْعِشْرُونَ
the twenty-first	اَلْحَادِي وَالْعِشْرُونَ	اَلْحَادِيَةُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ
the twenty-second	اَلثَّانِي وَالْعِشْرُونَ	اَلثَّانِيَةُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ
the thirty-third	اَلثَّالِثُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ	اَلثَّالِثَةُ وَالثَّلَاثُونَ
the forty-fourth	اَلرَّابِعُ وَالْأَرْبَعُونَ	اَلرَّابِعَةُ وَالْأَرْبَعُونَ
the hundredth	اَلْمِائَةُ	اَلْمِائَةُ
the hundred and tenth	اَلْمِائَةُ وَالْعَاشِرُ	اَلْمِائَةُ وَالْعَاشِرَةُ
the thousandth	اَلْأَلْفُ	اَلْأَلْفُ

Rule 4: 4. Telling the time

سَاعَةٌ is feminine, so the hours are feminine ordinals: اَلسَّاعَةُ الْخَامِسَةُ five o'clock, literally the fifth hour. One o'clock alone uses the cardinal: اَلسَّاعَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ. Fractions are added with وَ: اَلسَّاعَةُ الْخَامِسَةُ وَالنِّصْفُ half past five, وَالرُّبْعُ a quarter past, وَالثُّلْثُ twenty past; a quarter to is إِلَّا رُبْعًا. The question is كَمِ السَّاعَةُ؟. Add صَبَاحًا in the morning, ظُهْرًا at noon, مَسَاءً in the evening where needed; at five o'clock is فِي السَّاعَةِ الْخَامِسَةِ.

كَمِ السَّاعَةُ؟ - اَلسَّاعَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ.
kami-s-sāʿatu? - as-sāʿatu-th-thālithatu
What time is it? It is three o'clock.
اَلسَّاعَةُ السَّابِعَةُ وَالنِّصْفُ صَبَاحًا.
as-sāʿatu-s-sābiʿatu wa-n-niṣfu ṣabāḥan
It is half past seven in the morning.
اَلسَّاعَةُ الْعَاشِرَةُ إِلَّا رُبْعًا.
as-sāʿatu-l-ʿāshiratu illā rubʿan
It is a quarter to ten.
يَبْدَأُ الدَّرْسُ فِي السَّاعَةِ الثَّامِنَةِ وَيَنْتَهِي فِي السَّاعَةِ التَّاسِعَةِ إِلَّا رُبْعًا.
yabdaʾu-d-darsu fi-s-sāʿati-th-thāminati wa-yantahī fi-s-sāʿati-t-tāsiʿati illā rubʿan
The lesson begins at eight o'clock and ends at a quarter to nine.
رَجَعْتُ مِنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ فِي السَّاعَةِ الْوَاحِدَةِ وَالرُّبْعِ.
rajaʿtu mina-l-madrasati fi-s-sāʿati-l-wāḥidati wa-r-rubʿi
I came back from school at a quarter past one.

Clock times

Feminine ordinals with السَّاعَةُ; fractions added with وَ, subtracted with إِلَّا.
Time	Arabic	Pronounced
1:00	اَلسَّاعَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ	as-sāʿatu-l-wāḥidatu
2:00	اَلسَّاعَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ	as-sāʿatu-th-thāniyatu
4:15	اَلسَّاعَةُ الرَّابِعَةُ وَالرُّبْعُ	as-sāʿatu-r-rābiʿatu wa-r-rubʿu
6:20	اَلسَّاعَةُ السَّادِسَةُ وَالثُّلْثُ	as-sāʿatu-s-sādisatu wa-th-thulthu
8:30	اَلسَّاعَةُ الثَّامِنَةُ وَالنِّصْفُ	as-sāʿatu-th-thāminatu wa-n-niṣfu
9:45	اَلسَّاعَةُ الْعَاشِرَةُ إِلَّا رُبْعًا	as-sāʿatu-l-ʿāshiratu illā rubʿan
11:00	اَلسَّاعَةُ الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ	as-sāʿatu-l-ḥādiyata ʿashrata
12:00	اَلسَّاعَةُ الثَّانِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ	as-sāʿatu-th-thāniyata ʿashrata
5:10	اَلسَّاعَةُ الْخَامِسَةُ وَعَشْرُ دَقَائِقَ	as-sāʿatu-l-khāmisatu wa-ʿashru daqāʾiqa

Vocabulary

Why do words end with “-un”?

The -un ending is called tanween (nunation). It marks indefinite nouns — similar to “a/an” in English.

كِتَابٌ (kitaabun) = a bookvsكِتَاب (kitaab) = book (base word)

To find the base word, simply remove the final “-un” sound (the double-stacked damma بٌ on the last letter).

صَفٌّ

ṣaffun

class, classroom; row

صَفْحَةٌ

ṣafḥatun

page

جُزْءٌ

juzʾun

part, section

سَطْرٌ

saṭrun

line (of writing)

دَفْتَرٌ

daftarun

notebook, exercise book

اِمْتِحَانٌ

imtiḥānun

examination

جَوَابٌ

jawābun

answer

طَابِقٌ

ṭābiqun

floor, storey

آخِرٌ

ākhirun

last

حَادٍ

ḥādin

first (only in 11th and 21st, 31st…)

صَبَاحًا

ṣabāḥan

in the morning (a.m.)

بَدَأَ

badaʾa

to begin

Step 2 of 5: Read

A day at school

يَوْمٌ فِي الْمَدْرَسَةِ

Tap any word to look it up.

Notes

Comprehension

1.At what time does the first lesson end?
2.Which page did they read in the third lesson?
3.On which floor is the writer's classroom?

In the Quran

هُوَ ٱلْأَوَّلُ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرُ
Surah Al-Hadid · 57:3
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ: 'He is the First and the Last', the ordinal اَلْأَوَّلُ paired with آخِرٌ, both with the article.
- هُوَhuwaHe
- ٱلْأَوَّلُl-awalu(is) the First
- وَٱلْـَٔاخِرُwal-ākhiruand the Last
Read in context
ثَالِثُ ثَلَـٰثَةٍۢ ۘ
Surah Al-Ma'idah · 5:73
ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ: the ordinal in iḍāfa with its cardinal, 'the third of three'. Compare the pattern فَاعِل of ثَالِثُ with the cardinal ثَلَاثَةٍ.
- ثَالِثُthālithu(is the) third
- ثَلَـٰثَةٍۢ ۘthalāthatin(of) three
Read in context
وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَٱلْأُولَىٰ
Surah Al-Layl · 92:13
لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَى: the feminine اَلْأُولَى 'the first (life)' set against اَلْآخِرَةَ 'the last'.
- وَإِنَّwa-innaAnd indeed
- لَنَاlanāfor Us
- لَلْـَٔاخِرَةَlalākhirata(is) the Hereafter
- وَٱلْأُولَىٰwal-ūlāand the first (life)
Read in context
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِىَ ٱثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٍۢ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِىَ ٱلْعُلْيَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Surah At-Tawbah · 9:40
ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ: 'the second of two, when the two were in the cave'; the ordinal ثَانِيَ in iḍāfa, accusative, showing its weak final letter.
Read in context

Step 3 of 5: Practice

Exercises

Strict harakat

Exercise 1 of 80/0 correct

Transform

Give the masculine ordinal (with the article) of the cardinal:

خَمْسَةٌ

Step 4 of 5: Quiz

Translate from Arabic to English

Type your translation, then check it. Spelling and vowel marks are graded leniently.

1.

اَلدَّرْسُ الثَّامِنُ وَالْخَمْسُونَ أَسْهَلُ مِنَ الدَّرْسِ الْخَامِسِ وَالْخَمْسِينَ.

2.

قَرَأْنَا الصَّفْحَةَ الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ مِنَ الْجُزْءِ الثَّانِي.

3.

كَمِ السَّاعَةُ؟ - اَلسَّاعَةُ الرَّابِعَةُ وَالنِّصْفُ مَسَاءً.

4.

يَبْدَأُ الِامْتِحَانُ فِي السَّاعَةِ التَّاسِعَةِ صَبَاحًا.

5.

صَفُّ أُخْتِي فِي الطَّابِقِ الثَّالِثِ وَصَفِّي فِي الطَّابِقِ الْأَوَّلِ.

6.

هٰذَا الْكِتَابُ مُؤَلَّفٌ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ أَجْزَاءٍ، وَفِي الْجُزْءِ الْأَوَّلِ مِائَتَا صَفْحَةٍ.

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