Latin Ordinal Numbers

Latin ordinal numbers are used to describe the position of something in a sequence.

Table of Contents

They answer the question:

“Which one?”

Examples include:

Ordinal numbers are commonly used when talking about:

Latin Ordinal Numbers 1–20

Here are the most common Latin ordinal numbers.

Latin ordinal numbers behave like adjectives, which means they change depending on gender.

Example with prīmus (first):

Example sentence:

prīmus liber

Meaning:

the first book

Another example:

prīma fēmina

Meaning:

the first woman

Latin forms larger ordinal numbers by combining tens with smaller numbers.

Examples:

21st
vīcēsimus prīmus

25th
vīcēsimus quīntus

37th
trīcēsimus septimus

42nd
quadrāgēsimus secundus

Ordinal numbers appear frequently in Latin writing, especially in historical texts and literature.

Examples:

capitulum tertium

Meaning:

chapter three

Another example:

annus prīmus

Meaning:

first year

Another example:

imperātor quartus

Meaning:

the fourth emperor

Roman calendar dates were often expressed using ordinal numbers.

Example:

diēs tertius

Meaning:

the third day

Latin dates are sometimes expressed using the Kalends, Nones, and Ides, which follow different rules than modern calendars.

For more information, check out our Latin Dates page.

/latin/latin-dates

You can practice Latin numbers using the interactive tools below.

Example: 1234

Further reference: Latin numerals overview.