Ordinal Numbers – Números Ordinais

Ordinal numbers are used to express the position or order in a sequence. In English the ordinal numbers from 1 to 10 are: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth. See the equivalents in Portuguese. Note that in Portuguese the ordinal numbers have feminine and masculine forms.

Ordinal Numbers are used to refer to the floors in a building, to place positions in a competition etc.


  • Eu moro no terceiro andar. (I live on the third floor).

In the chart below study the pronunciation of the Ordinal Numbers.

Number Masculine Feminine
First Primeiro Primeira
Second Segundo Segunda
Third Terceiro Terceira
Fourth Quarto Quarta
Fifth Quinto Quinta
Sixth Sexto Sexta
Seventh Sétimo Sétima
Eighth Oitavo Oitava
Ninth Nono Nona
Tenth Décimo Décima

Days of the month

In Portuguese the ordinal numbers are not used to express the days of the month. People use the word “primeiro” just for the first day and cardinal numbers (dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis…) for the other days.


  • date: 11/01/2006: Primeiro de novembro de dois mil e seis. (literal translation: First of November of two thousand six)
  • date: 11/09/2005: Nove de novembro de dois mil e seis. (literal translation: Nine of November of two thousand six)