Ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) are formed in Turkish by adding the suffix -IncI to the cardinal number. The suffix follows the rules of 4-way vowel harmony.
💡 The Phonetic Rule:
The suffix changes according to the last vowel of the number:
Last Vowel | Suffix | Example | English |
a, ı | -ıncı | Altıncı | 6th |
e, i | -inci | Birinci | 1st |
o, u | -uncu | Dokuzuncu | 9th |
ö, ü | -üncü | Üçüncü | 3rd |
Important: If the number already ends in a vowel (like İki or Yedi), we drop the first vowel of the suffix, adding only -ncI to avoid having two vowels together.
Asking "Which one?" (Kaçıncı)
To ask about the order or rank, we use the question word Kaçıncı (Which / What number).
Question: Evin kaçıncı katta? (Which floor is your house on?)
Answer: Evim ikinci katta. (My house is on the second floor).
Common Ordinal Numbers Table
In writing, ordinal numbers are often represented by a period (.) after the digit (e.g., 3. = 3rd).
Order | Turkish | Order | Turkish |
1st (1.) | Birinci | 6th (6.) | Altıncı |
2nd (2.) | İkinci | 7th (7.) | Yedinci |
3rd (3.) | Üçüncü | 8th (8.) | Sekizinci |
4th (4.) | Dördüncü | 9th (9.) | Dokuzuncu |
5th (5.) | Beşinci | 10th (10.) | Onuncu |
Last | Sonuncu | Second to last | Sondan ikinci |
We hope these rules are clear now. Ordinal numbers are essential when talking about addresses, floors, or rankings.