Turkish grammar: sıra sayıları

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

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'.