Content
Usage
Ordinal numbers are used to define a thing’s position in a series.
For example, I was the first person in class to finish the assignment.
In Polish, they are also used when talking about dates and time. (Note that when talking about the time, the feminine form of the ordinal number is used).
Wracam do szkoły dwudziestego pierwszego sierpnia. (I go back to school on August 21st).
Zjadłem śniadanie o siódmej. (I ate breakfast at 7:00).
Która godzina jest? Jest pierwsza. What time is it? It’s 1:00.
Common Numbers
In Polish, just like adjectives, ordinal numbers agree in gender, number, and case with the nouns they modify. Below is a list of common ordinal numbers (in their nominative singular form) with their cardinal number counterparts to help you better see how the ordinal numbers are created.
Cardinal | Ordinal |
jeden |
pierwszy |
Declension
Like adjectives, ordinal numbers are declined. Here is an example declination table of drugi (second).
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine Personal | Other | |
Nominative | drugi | druga | drugie | drudzy | drugie |
Genitive | drugiego | drugiej | drugiego | drugich | drugich |
Dative | drugiemu | drugiej | drugiemu | drugim | drugim |
Accusative | drugiego/drugi | drugą | drugie | drugich | drugie |
Instrumental | drugim | drugą | drugim | drugimi | drugimi |
Locative | drugim | drugiej | drugim | drugich | drugich |