Ordinal numbers are used to express rank or position, while fractions express a portion or part of a whole.

Notes

All ordinal numbers have feminine forms - just change the o to a: la segunda (2ª), la séptima (7ª)

Fractions may also be used with parte:

una tercia parte - a third
una octava parte - an eighth
tres décimas partes - three tenths

When primero and tercero precede a masculine noun, they change to the short adjectives primer and tercer

Beginning with fifth, Spanish ordinal numbers and fractions are the same word; only the article distinguishes them: the fifth = el quinto, a fifth = un quinto

The ordinal numbers up to tenth usually precede the noun. After tenth, however, ordinal numbers are commonly expressed with just the cardinal number after the noun:

el segundo piso - the second floor
el piso veinte - the twentieth floor

Spanish numbers

Spanish for beginners

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