gebruik van telwoorden grammar in Dutch

Language: Dutch
Level: B2
Unit: Bijvoeglijke naamwoorden, vergelijking en telwoorden
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

Dutch uses 'telwoorden' (numerals) to express numbers, amounts, order, and quantity. There are two main types: cardinal (one, two, three) and ordinal (first, second, third) numerals.

When to use it

Use cardinal numbers to count things, say your age, or talk about quantities. Use ordinal numbers to show the order of things, like dates or ranking.

Key forms

Cardinal: één, twee, drie, vier, vijf, enz.
Ordinal: eerste, tweede, derde, vierde, vijfde, enz.
Special forms: twintigste (20th), honderdste (100th), duizendste (1000th)

Examples

Ik heb drie boeken.

English: I have three books.

Hij is de tweede in de rij.

English: He is the second in line.

We komen op de vijfde juli.

English: We are coming on the fifth of July.

Er zijn twintig studenten in de klas.

English: There are twenty students in the class.

Dit is mijn eerste keer in Nederland.

English: This is my first time in the Netherlands.

Tips

Remember to use 'de' for most ordinal numbers: de eerste, de tweede, de derde.
Cardinal numbers do not change for gender or number.
Don't forget the difference: 'twee' (two) is a number, 'tweede' (second) is an order.