How to use ordinal numbers in Russian?

In Russian, ordinal numbers like , are used in the same cases where you might use their English equivalents, “first,” “second,” or “third,” — to order things or ideas. However, unlike in English, where each ordinal number has only one form, in Russian these words agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Compare:

In this post, we’ll take you through the basic forms of Russian ordinal numbers, we’ll discuss how to create larger compound ordinal numbers, and we’ll discuss when to use ordinal numbers in Russian sentences. It’s a little different from English! Let’s have a look!

Below is a list of the basic Russian ordinal numbers, from 1-10. Alongside each one you will see the equivalent Russian cardinal number (also known as “counting numbers”). Notice that although the first two ordinal numbers (первый, второй) are very different from the cardinal numbers (один, два), the other ones, at least, share the same root.

However, just like other kinds of adjectives in Russian, ordinal numbers agreeNo definition set for agreeLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. with nouns in genderNo definition set for genderLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., caseNo definition set for caseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., and numberNo definition set for numberLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..

The table below illustrates all the forms of первый[pYervYi](first). Most ordinal numbers will follow this same ending pattern.

For example:

As we stated above, most other ordinal numbers will follow the same ending pattern as первый[pYervYi](first). In the example below you can see that the ordinal number второй[ftarOi](second) has the same ending in the genitive singular feminine as первой[pYErvay](first).

The only ordinal number that follows a different declensionNo definition set for declensionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. pattern is третий[trYEtii](third). Its endings are illustrated in this second chart.

And here is an example:

To form larger ordinal numbers in Russian, like “21st,” “33rd,” or “414th,” you can just take the cardinal number and replace the final word of the number with its equivalent ordinal number — just like we do in English.

For example:

Here are a couple examples of how these larger ordinal numbers are used:

In Russian, you can abbreviate ordinal numbers by using numerals, much like we do with 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in English. Just provide the numeral version of the number in question and add the appropriate ending, according to the number’s case, number, and gender.

• 1st: 1-ый, в 1-ом, ...

• 2nd: 2-ой, 2-ого, ...

The basic use of ordinal numbers in Russian and English is the same: we use them to put nouns in order. However, there are some specialized cases where you can use an ordinal number in Russian but not in English and vice versa. Let’s compare:

In this post we discussed ordinal numbers in Russian. We saw that:

• The basic forms of ordinal numbers are derived from cardinal numbers.

• Like adjectives, ordinal numbers change their forms to agree with the noun they describe.

• When forming larger ordinal numbers, most of the number is formed using cardinal numbers. Only the last word takes on a special ordinal form (just like English!)

• They are used mostly like in English but there are a few cases where they’re used in Russian, but not English:

  • naming years and decades

  • describing certain times of day

  • sometimes house and bus numbers

Now, let’s practice! Click the link below to download the Russian ordinal numbers activities. Happy learning!