Arabic Ordinal Numbers: First, Second, Third in Arabic
Learn how to say first, second, third, and beyond in Arabic. This guide covers ordinal numbers with masculine and feminine forms, pronunciation, and real-world usage.
Table of Contents
Arabic Ordinal Numbers: First, Second, Third in Arabic
When you learn to count in Arabic, you quickly discover that numbers come in two flavors: cardinal numbers (one, two, three) and ordinal numbers (first, second, third). While cardinal numbers tell you how many, ordinal numbers tell you in what order — and in Arabic, that distinction brings its own fascinating grammar rules.
If you have already explored Arabic Numbers 1–100, you know that Arabic numerals can be tricky. Ordinal numbers add another layer: gender agreement. In Arabic, ordinal numbers must match the gender of the noun they describe, just like adjectives do. That means you need both a masculine and a feminine form for each ordinal.
In this guide you will learn:
- The full list of Arabic ordinal numbers from first to tenth (and beyond)
- Masculine and feminine forms with Arabic script and transliteration
- How to use ordinal numbers correctly in sentences
- Common real-world examples and practice tips
Let's dive in.
What Are Ordinal Numbers?
Ordinal numbers express rank or position in a sequence. In English, we form them by adding -st, -nd, -rd, or -th to a cardinal number (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th). In Arabic, the transformation is more significant — ordinal numbers are derived from cardinal roots using a specific pattern, and they behave like adjectives, agreeing with the noun in gender and definiteness.
For example:
- "The first chapter" → الفصل الأول (al-faṣl al-awwal)
- "The first lesson" (feminine noun) → الدرسة الأولى (ad-darsa al-ūlā)
Understanding ordinal numbers is essential for:
- Telling the date ("the fifth of March")
- Describing floors in a building ("the third floor")
- Talking about order and rank ("first place")
- Reading Quran, literature, and formal texts
- Everyday conversation
How Arabic Ordinal Numbers Are Formed
Most Arabic ordinal numbers from second onward follow the فاعل (fāʿil) pattern — one of the most common Arabic word patterns derived from a three-letter root. If you want to understand how roots generate words, check out our article on the Arabic Root System.
The Pattern
For masculine ordinals (2nd–10th), the pattern is: فاعِل (fāʿil)
| Root | Meaning | Ordinal (Masc.) |
|---|---|---|
| ث-ن-ي | two | ثانٍ (thānin) |
| ث-ل-ث | three | ثالث (thālith) |
| ر-ب-ع | four | رابع (rābiʿ) |
For feminine forms, you simply add the ة (tā marbūṭa) suffix:
- ثالث → ثالثة (thālith → thālitha)
The notable exception is "first" (أول / أولى), which comes from a different root and does not follow the fāʿil pattern.
Arabic Ordinal Numbers 1st–10th
Here is the core list you need to memorize. Each entry shows the Arabic script, transliteration, and both genders.
First — أوّل / أولى
| Arabic | Transliteration | Pronunciation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | أوّل | awwal | AW-wal |
| Feminine | أولى | ūlā | OO-laa |
"First" is irregular and must be memorized separately. It comes from the root أ-و-ل, related to the concept of beginning.
Examples:
- الطابق الأول (aṭ-ṭābiq al-awwal) — the first floor
- المرة الأولى (al-marra al-ūlā) — the first time
Second — ثانٍ / ثانية
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ثانٍ | thānin |
| Feminine | ثانية | thāniya |
Examples:
- الفصل الثاني (al-faṣl ath-thānī) — the second chapter
- المحاولة الثانية (al-muḥāwala ath-thāniya) — the second attempt
Third — ثالث / ثالثة
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ثالث | thālith |
| Feminine | ثالثة | thālitha |
Examples:
- المركز الثالث (al-markaz ath-thālith) — third place
- السنة الثالثة (as-sana ath-thālitha) — the third year
Fourth — رابع / رابعة
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | رابع | rābiʿ |
| Feminine | رابعة | rābiʿa |
Examples:
- الدور الرابع (ad-dawr ar-rābiʿ) — the fourth round
- الوجبة الرابعة (al-wajba ar-rābiʿa) — the fourth meal
Fifth — خامس / خامسة
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | خامس | khāmis |
| Feminine | خامسة | khāmisa |
Examples:
- الطابق الخامس (aṭ-ṭābiq al-khāmis) — the fifth floor
- المحطة الخامسة (al-maḥaṭṭa al-khāmisa) — the fifth station
Sixth — سادس / سادسة
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | سادس | sādis |
| Feminine | سادسة | sādisa |
Examples:
- اليوم السادس (al-yawm as-sādis) — the sixth day
- الحصة السادسة (al-ḥiṣṣa as-sādisa) — the sixth class/period
Seventh — سابع / سابعة
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | سابع | sābiʿ |
| Feminine | سابعة | sābiʿa |
Examples:
- السماء السابعة (as-samāʾ as-sābiʿa) — the seventh heaven (a common Arabic expression)
- الشهر السابع (ash-shahr as-sābiʿ) — the seventh month
Eighth — ثامن / ثامنة
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ثامن | thāmin |
| Feminine | ثامنة | thāmina |
Examples:
- الحي الثامن (al-ḥayy ath-thāmin) — the eighth district
- المحاضرة الثامنة (al-muḥāḍara ath-thāmina) — the eighth lecture
Ninth — تاسع / تاسعة
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | تاسع | tāsiʿ |
| Feminine | تاسعة | tāsiʿa |
Examples:
- الفصل التاسع (al-faṣl at-tāsiʿ) — the ninth chapter
- الجولة التاسعة (al-jawla at-tāsiʿa) — the ninth round
Tenth — عاشر / عاشرة
| Arabic | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | عاشر | ʿāshir |
| Feminine | عاشرة | ʿāshira |
Examples:
- المنزل العاشر (al-manzil al-ʿāshir) — the tenth house
- الذكرى العاشرة (adh-dhikrā al-ʿāshira) — the tenth anniversary
Quick Reference Table: Ordinal Numbers 1–10
| # | English | Masculine (Arabic) | Masculine (Roman) | Feminine (Arabic) | Feminine (Roman) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | First | أوّل | awwal | أولى | ūlā |
| 2nd | Second | ثانٍ | thānin | ثانية | thāniya |
| 3rd | Third | ثالث | thālith | ثالثة | thālitha |
| 4th | Fourth | رابع | rābiʿ | رابعة | rābiʿa |
| 5th | Fifth | خامس | khāmis | خامسة | khāmisa |
| 6th | Sixth | سادس | sādis | سادسة | sādisa |
| 7th | Seventh | سابع | sābiʿ | سابعة | sābiʿa |
| 8th | Eighth | ثامن | thāmin | ثامنة | thāmina |
| 9th | Ninth | تاسع | tāsiʿ | تاسعة | tāsiʿa |
| 10th | Tenth | عاشر | ʿāshir | عاشرة | ʿāshira |
Beyond Tenth: Ordinal Numbers 11–20
For ordinal numbers from 11th onward in spoken Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), there are two common approaches:
Approach 1: Use Cardinal Numbers
In everyday speech, Arabic speakers often simply use the cardinal number in these positions. For example, "the 11th floor" might just be expressed as الطابق أحد عشر (aṭ-ṭābiq aḥad ʿashar).
Approach 2: Formal Ordinal Constructions
In formal writing, you can construct ordinals for 11–19 by combining the unit ordinal with عشر:
| # | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| 11th | الحادي عشر (al-ḥādī ʿashar) | الحادية عشرة (al-ḥādiya ʿashara) |
| 12th | الثاني عشر (ath-thānī ʿashar) | الثانية عشرة (ath-thāniya ʿashara) |
| 13th | الثالث عشر (ath-thālith ʿashar) | الثالثة عشرة (ath-thālitha ʿashara) |
| 20th | العشرون (al-ʿishrūn) | العشرون (al-ʿishrūn) |
For most learners, mastering 1st through 10th is the essential foundation. You can explore Arabic dialects to see how these constructions vary across regions.
Gender Agreement Rules
One of the most important aspects of Arabic ordinal numbers is gender agreement. Arabic nouns are either masculine or feminine, and ordinal numbers — like all adjectives — must match the noun's gender.
How to Identify Noun Gender
- Most nouns ending in ة (tā marbūṭa) are feminine
- Most other nouns are masculine
- Some nouns are feminine by convention (body parts, geographical names, etc.)
Masculine Examples
- الكتاب الأول (al-kitāb al-awwal) — the first book (كتاب is masculine)
- الدرس الثالث (ad-dars ath-thālith) — the third lesson
- الباب الخامس (al-bāb al-khāmis) — the fifth door
Feminine Examples
- المدرسة الأولى (al-madrasa al-ūlā) — the first school (مدرسة is feminine)
- الصفحة الثالثة (aṣ-ṣafḥa ath-thālitha) — the third page
- السيارة الخامسة (as-sayyāra al-khāmisa) — the fifth car
Tip: If you're unsure of a noun's gender, our Arabic vocabulary section lists common words with their grammatical gender.
Definite vs. Indefinite Ordinals
Ordinal numbers in Arabic also change based on whether the noun is definite (with ال, the definite article) or indefinite.
Definite Ordinals (most common)
When you say "the first chapter," both the noun and the ordinal take the definite article ال:
- الفصل الأول (al-faṣl al-awwal) — the first chapter
- الدرس الثاني (ad-dars ath-thānī) — the second lesson
Indefinite Ordinals
For "a first attempt" (without ال), the ordinal appears without ال:
- محاولة أولى (muḥāwala ūlā) — a first attempt
- درس ثانٍ (dars thānin) — a second lesson
This pattern is consistent with how Arabic handles Arabic sentence structure, where adjectives follow nouns and agree in definiteness.
Ordinal Numbers in Dates
Ordinal numbers are essential when stating dates in Arabic. Arabic dates typically use ordinal numbers for the day of the month.
Structure: ordinal number + month name
Examples:
- الأول من يناير (al-awwal min yanāyir) — the first of January
- الخامس من مارس (al-khāmis min māris) — the fifth of March
- الثالث عشر من رمضان (ath-thālith ʿashar min ramaḍān) — the thirteenth of Ramadan
Note that the day uses a masculine ordinal regardless of the month name's gender, following standard MSA conventions.
Ordinals in Common Phrases and Expressions
Here are practical phrases using ordinal numbers that you will encounter regularly:
| Arabic | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| أولاً | awwalan | First of all / Firstly |
| ثانياً | thāniyan | Secondly |
| ثالثاً | thālithan | Thirdly |
| للمرة الأولى | lil-marra al-ūlā | For the first time |
| في المرتبة الأولى | fī al-martaba al-ūlā | In first place |
| الدور الأول | ad-dawr al-awwal | The first round / The ground floor |
| الدرجة الأولى | ad-daraja al-ūlā | First class |
| رقم واحد / الأول | al-awwal | Number one / The first |
The sequence words أولاً، ثانياً، ثالثاً (firstly, secondly, thirdly) are especially useful in formal speech, academic writing, and presentations. You will encounter them often in Arabic texts and essential Arabic phrases.
Tips for Memorizing Arabic Ordinal Numbers
Learning ordinal numbers is much easier when you connect them to cardinal numbers you already know. Here are some effective strategies:
1. Learn the Pattern First
Once you see that ث-ل-ث (three) → ثالث (third), ر-ب-ع (four) → رابع (fourth), and so on, the pattern clicks. Study the Arabic root system to accelerate this understanding.
2. Memorize in Gender Pairs
Always learn both forms together: thālith / thālitha, rābiʿ / rābiʿa. This builds the habit of gender agreement from the start.
3. Use Real Contexts
Practice with real-world examples — floor numbers, chapter numbers, dates. "I live on the third floor" = أسكن في الطابق الثالث (askun fī aṭ-ṭābiq ath-thālith).
4. Use Sequence Phrases Daily
When making any list or argument in Arabic, use أولاً، ثانياً، ثالثاً. This locks in the ordinal forms through repeated use.
5. Connect to Cardinal Numbers
If you have already studied Arabic cardinal numbers, compare them side by side with ordinals. Seeing ثلاثة (three) next to ثالث (third) reinforces the root connection.
Summary
Arabic ordinal numbers are a vital part of everyday communication, from reading dates and floor numbers to expressing sequence in speech and writing. Here is what to remember:
- "First" is irregular: أول (masculine) / أولى (feminine)
- Ordinals 2nd–10th follow the فاعل (fāʿil) pattern
- Feminine forms add ة to masculine forms
- Ordinals agree with the noun in gender and definiteness
- Sequence adverbs (أولاً، ثانياً، ثالثاً) are widely used in formal Arabic
With consistent practice, these forms will become second nature. Explore our full Arabic numbers reference and Arabic vocabulary categories to build on what you have learned here.
Keep up the great work — you are well on your way to mastering Arabic!