Ordinal Numbers & Dates
Knowing ordinal numbers unlocks a huge part of everyday German — birthdays, appointments, schedules, and addresses all depend on them. Once you learn the two simple rules, most ordinals follow automatically.
Dates in German require the right adjective ending and a specific word order. This lesson walks you through forming ordinals, declining them in context, and using them confidently in real sentences.
Forming Ordinal Numbers
German ordinal numbers are built by adding a suffix to the cardinal number:
- 1–19: add -t- to the cardinal, then the adjective ending (e.g., vier → viert-)
- 20 and above: add -st- to the cardinal (e.g., zwanzig → zwanzigst-)
Four common ordinals are irregular — memorise these:
| Cardinal | Ordinal stem | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ein (1) | erst- | completely irregular |
| drei (3) | dritt- | irregular |
| sieben (7) | siebt- | drops -en |
| acht (8) | acht- | no extra -t (already ends in t) |
All others from 2nd to 19th are regular:
| Cardinal | Ordinal stem | Cardinal | Ordinal stem |
|---|---|---|---|
| zwei (2) | zweit- | zehn (10) | zehnt- |
| vier (4) | viert- | elf (11) | elft- |
| fünf (5) | fünft- | zwölf (12) | zwölft- |
| sechs (6) | sechst- | neunzehn (19) | neunzehnt- |
| neun (9) | neunt- | zwanzig (20) | zwanzigst- |
Ordinal Numbers as Adjectives
Ordinal numbers are adjectives and take standard adjective endings. For date expressions, three cases matter most:
| Case | Article | Example | Ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | der erste Mai | -e |
| Accusative | den | den ersten Mai | -en |
| Dative | am (= an+dem) | am ersten Mai | -en |
Key insight: After am, ordinals always end in -en. This dative form covers almost every date sentence you will need.
Ordinals follow the same rules when describing nouns:
| Example | Translation | Case & Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Das ist mein erstes Auto. | That is my first car. | nominative neuter |
| im dritten Stock | on the third floor | dative masculine |
Saying and Writing Dates
Saying a date uses am + ordinal + month:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Wann hast du Geburtstag? | Am dritten April. |
| Wann beginnt der Kurs? | Am zwanzigsten September. |
| Welches Datum ist heute? | Heute ist der fünfte Juli. |
Writing a date: Day comes first, then month. A period after the numeral signals it is an ordinal:
| Written | Read aloud |
|---|---|
| 1. Mai | am ersten Mai |
| 3. März | am dritten März |
| 20. August | am zwanzigsten August |
| 11.11.2024 | am elften November zweitausendvierundzwanzig |
Asking for the date:
- Den Wievielten haben wir heute? — What is today's date?
- Welches Datum haben wir heute? — What date is it today?
📖 Examples
Heute ist der erste Mai.
Today is the first of May.
Mein Geburtstag ist am dritten Juli.
My birthday is on the third of July.
Das Konzert findet am zwanzigsten März statt.
The concert takes place on the twentieth of March.
Er kommt am fünften Dezember an.
He arrives on the fifth of December.
Sie wohnt im dritten Stock.
She lives on the third floor.
Das ist mein zweites Buch.
This is my second book.
Das Spiel beginnt am elften November.
The game begins on the eleventh of November.
Wir haben heute den dreizehnten August.
Today is the thirteenth of August.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Heute ist der drei Mai.Heute ist der dritte Mai.
You must use the ordinal form (*dritte*), not the cardinal (*drei*). Just as you say 'the third' — not 'the three' — in English, German requires the ordinal for dates.
Mein Geburtstag ist am erste April.Mein Geburtstag ist am ersten April.
After *am* (dative), ordinal adjectives need the weak dative ending *-en*. So *erst-* + *-en* = *ersten*, not *erste*.
Das ist der zwanzigt Mai.Das ist der zwanzigste Mai.
Numbers from 20 upward use *-st-*, not *-t-*. The stem is *zwanzigst-*, and the nominative weak ending *-e* gives *zwanzigste*.
Das Konzert ist am 3 März.Das Konzert ist am 3. März.
In written German, a period after a numeral marks it as an ordinal. Without the period, *3* reads as a cardinal ('three'), which is grammatically wrong in a date expression.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
What is the correct ordinal stem for the number 3 in German?
How do you say 'on the fifth of March' in German?
Which sentence correctly says 'Today is the first of May'?
Numbers from 20 upward form ordinals by adding which suffix to the cardinal?
How is a date written in German to show the numeral is an ordinal?
Which sentence correctly says 'She lives on the third floor'?
Heute ist der ___ (dreißig) Juni.
Mein Geburtstag ist am ___ (vier) März.
Das ist sein ___ (erst) Auto.
Das Spiel ist am ___ (elf) November.