Beginning, Task 12

Simplified and native speakers:

• Simplified Example
• Arturo A.
• Natacha P.
• Carmen Z.
• Ronald F.
• Marcela O.

Click red links to download .m4v files for use in iPod:

• Simplified Example
• Arturo A.
• Natacha P.
• Carmen Z.
• Ronald F.
• Marcela O.

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Key vocabulary for this task

Example phrases for this task

Grammar points for this task



		Simplified Example "Los números ordinales son..."



		Arturo A. México, D.F. "Primero, segundo, tercero, cuarto..."

		Natacha P. Argentina, Buenos Aires "El décimo quinto para mí siempre es difícil..."

		Carmen Z. Perú, Lima "Primero, segundo, tercero, cuarto..."

		Ronald F. Venezuela, Caracas "Primero, segundo, tercero, cuarto..."

		Marcela O. Chile, Santiago "Los números, ordinales, bueno..."

primer (adj)		first
segundo (adj)		second
tercer (adj)		third
cuarto (adj)		fourth
quinto (adj)		fifth
sexto (adj)		sixth
séptimo (adj)		seventh
octavo (adj)		eighth
noveno (adj)		ninth
décimo (adj)		tenth
décimo primero (adj)		eleventh

undécimo (adj)		eleventh
décimo segundo (adj)		twelfth
duodécimo (adj)		twelfth
aniversario de bodas (m)		wedding anniversary
competencia (f)		competition
edificio (m)		building
ganador (m)		winner
piso (m)		floor
posición (f)		position
quincena (f)		two weeks

Mi maestra de sexto de primaria es muy bonita	My sixth grade teacher from elementary school is very pretty.
Voy al noveno piso.	I'm going to the ninth floor.
Es la tercera vez que te lo digo.	This is the third time that I've told you.
Esta es la segunda parte de la novela.	This is the second part of the novel.
Mañana es nuestro décimo aniversario de bodas.	Tomorrow is our tenth wedding anniversary.
Hoy es el quinto día de las olimpiadas.	Today is the fifth day of the Olympics.
Quedé en cuarto lugar de ochenta participantes.	I ended up in fourth place out of eighty participants.
Ese producto está en el tercer pasillo a la izquierda.	That product is in the third aisle on the left.

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are numbers that show the order or position of something, for example: first, fifth, twentieth. As in English, ordinal numbers come before the noun. Ordinal numbers agree in gender with the noun they modify. The situations in which we use ordinal numbers vary from English to Spanish. For example, in English we say "the fourth of July," but in Spanish this translates into "el (día) cuatro de Julio" (día is optional). Ordinal numbers are also used in the names of royalty, for example, "Carlos Quinto" is Charles the Fifth.

The words that mean first and third have two different forms: "primer/primero" and "tercer/tercero." The first form (primer or tercer) is used when the noun follows the number, as in "el primer día" (the first day), "el tercer mes" (the third month). The second form (primero or tercero) is used when the number is used by itself, as in "el primero" (the first), with the noun being implied from the context.

Vivo en el quinto piso de este edificio. I live on the fifth floor of this building.

Ud. tiene que comprar otro libro porque acaban de salir con la séptima edición. You (formal) need to buy another book because they just came out with a seventh edition.

Su hermano menor fue el primero en casarse. His/her younger brother was the first to get married.

Su hermano menor fue el primer hijo en casarse. His/her younger brother was the first son to get married.