Ordinal numbers: first to tenth
Learn this complete reference set, recall meanings and construction clues, then apply the grammar in original short practice.
Section MORPH-PREPOSITIONS · Prepositions and numerals
Exam scope and assessment notes
Original teaching foundations for the 2026–2028 syllabus. Six prescribed texts have passage-specific sequences; all 693 printed vocabulary rows have been reconciled into 692 distinct records, with additional number, comparison and compound-verb practice. Linked teaching and lexical self-checks do not certify mastery. Complete line-by-line annotation, further translation and scansion practice, qualified Latin-teacher review, full timed papers and human marking remain outstanding. Open the assigned edition alongside these lessons: public ancient texts can differ in spelling, punctuation or editorial readings from the prescribed prose anthology. Practice explanations are formative, not Cambridge questions, marks or predicted grades. Cambridge has announced withdrawal; the last assessment is June 2028, in administrative zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 only. Confirm entry with your centre.
Before you begin
- Identify noun, verb and clause roles
- Recall the whole dictionary record rather than only its first spelling
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What does a dictionary meaning fail to establish on its own?
What you will learn
- Recall all ten required ordinal forms
- Use agreeing position words without changing a count into rank
Read the form, recall the meaning, then check the construction
Use the reference list to learn, then hide the meanings in recall practice. The usage note explains a grammatical clue or limit. Self-check labels do not award a grade or certify mastery.
10 of 10 entries shown · 0 marked for another review in this practice
primus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
first
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
secundus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
second
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
tertius, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
third
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
quartus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
fourth
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
quintus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
fifth
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
sextus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
sixth
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
septimus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
seventh
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
octavus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
eighth
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
nonus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
ninth
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
decimus, -a, -umOrdinal adjective
tenth
An ordinal shows position in a sequence. Its form agrees with the described noun in gender, number and case; it is not the count itself.
Learn position separately
Primus, secundus, tertius, quartus, quintus, sextus, septimus, octavus, nonus and decimus identify first through tenth. The ordinal is not the number of people or objects: the tenth person is one identified person, not a claim of ten people performing the action.
These ordinals act as first/second-declension adjectives and agree with the described noun. Prima puella and primus puer have different forms because their nouns differ; primum can be neuter adjectival or used in another construction according to context.
Use endings and the sentence
A phrase such as tertio die uses agreement and the time construction; a dictionary nominative tertius should not be left unchanged if the phrase requires ablative. Decide the noun role and then match the ordinal.
Keep secundus as a position word distinct from a contextual use such as favourable. The card presents the required numerical sense, while longer reading may need another justified sense. A one-word reference is not the full interpretation of every context.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
Does the third day mean a count of three days in every sentence?
Worked example
Explain original ‘Tertio die discessimus’.
Show the worked solution
- Die is ablative in the time phrase.
- Tertio agrees with it.
- Discessimus is the plural departure action.
Answer We left on the third day. Tertio agrees with the time phrase; it does not mean three days or a third-person subject.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Guided: Give the first, fifth and tenth ordinal headwords.
Give me a hint
Use the ten-card reference.
Compare my reasoning
- First is primus.
- Fifth is quintus.
- Tenth is decimus.
The headwords are primus, quintus and decimus, with agreeing -a/-um forms as appropriate. Those lexical positions are not cardinal counts.
Look for these in your work
- Recalls first
- Recalls fifth
- Recalls tenth
Independent: Explain the agreement in prima puella versus primus puer.
Give me a hint
Both are nominative singular but gender differs.
Compare my reasoning
- Puella is feminine.
- Puer is masculine.
- Use the matching ordinal form.
Prima agrees with the feminine puella and primus with the masculine puer. The position first remains the same, while its grammatical form changes with the noun.
Look for these in your work
- Uses feminine
- Uses masculine
- Preserves position
Application: A draft translates tertio die as three days solely because tertius starts with three's idea. Correct it.
Give me a hint
Use ordinal and case.
Compare my reasoning
- Tertius is third, not tres.
- Die is the time phrase's noun.
- Preserve on the third day.
Tertio die identifies on the third day in this construction. Turning it into a cardinal duration loses both the ordinal position and the supplied time relation.
Look for these in your work
- Uses ordinal
- Uses case
- Preserves relation
Common mistakes
- Confusing rank and count
- Leaving a nominative ordinal beside an oblique noun
- Using a bare word to decide every sense
What can you explain now?
Does the third day mean a count of three days in every sentence?
Compare with the explanation
No
An ordinal identifies a position, while a cardinal supplies a count.
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Make it stick
Does the third day mean a count of three days in every sentence?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.