Ben birinci oldum.
English: I was first.
- Language
- Turkish
- Level
- A1
- Unit
- Sayılar ve zaman
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In Turkish, 'sıra sayıları' are ordinal numbers. They show the order or position of something in a sequence, like first, second, third, etc.
When to use it
Use ordinal numbers in Turkish to show order: for example, when talking about floors in a building, ranking in a competition, or the order of people or things.
Key forms
- birinci
- ikinci
- üçüncü
- dördüncü
- beşinci
- altıncı
- yedinci
- sekizinci
- dokuzuncu
- onuncu
Examples
O üçüncü katta oturuyor.
English: He/She lives on the third floor.
Bugün ikinci gün.
English: Today is the second day.
Beşinci soru çok kolaydı.
English: The fifth question was very easy.
Yedinci öğrenci kim?
English: Who is the seventh student?
Tips
- Ordinal numbers in Turkish usually end with '-inci' (or a similar ending, depending on vowel harmony).
- Always use ordinal numbers with the correct ending for the number. For example, 'bir' becomes 'birinci', not 'birinci' for all numbers.
- Pay attention to vowel harmony when forming ordinal numbers.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some numbers change slightly before adding the ordinal ending. For example, 'altı' becomes 'altıncı', 'yedi' becomes 'yedinci'.