Portuguese Ordinal Numbers

Portuguese 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:

Portuguese Ordinal Numbers 1–20

Here are the most common Portuguese ordinal numbers.

Portuguese ordinal numbers behave like adjectives and change depending on gender and number.

Example with primeiro (first):

Example sentence:

Esta é a primeira vez.

Meaning:

This is the first time.

Many Portuguese ordinal numbers follow regular patterns.

Examples:

décimo = tenth
vigésimo = twentieth
trigésimo = thirtieth

These numbers are often used in formal writing, academic contexts, or when describing positions in a sequence.

Ordinal numbers appear in many everyday expressions.

Examples:

o segundo andar
(the second floor)

a terceira página
(the third page)

o décimo capítulo
(the tenth chapter)

Ordinal numbers are sometimes used when referring to the first day of the month.

Example:

1º de janeiro

This represents:

primeiro de janeiro

Most other dates use cardinal numbers instead of ordinal numbers.

Example:

4 de março
15 de agosto

For more information about Portuguese dates, check out our Portuguese Dates page.

You can practice Portuguese numbers using the tools below.

Example: 1234

Portuguese Numbers

/portuguese/portuguese-numbers

Portuguese Cardinal Numbers

/portuguese/portuguese-cardinal-numbers

Portuguese Dates

/portuguese/portuguese-dates

Times in Portuguese

/portuguese/times-in-portuguese

Further reference: Omniglot numbers in Portuguese.