Ik heb drie boeken.
English: I have three books.
- 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
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.
Exceptions and edge cases
- The ordinal for 'één' is 'eerste', not 'eende'.
- Some numbers have irregular ordinals: 'drie' becomes 'derde', not 'driede'.