Language/Basque/Vocabulary/Ordinal-Numbers
In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use ordinal numbers in Basque. Ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position of someone or something in a sequence, for example, first, second, third, etc. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use Basque ordinal numbers confidently in conversation and understand them when used by others.
Forming Ordinal Numbers
In Basque, ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix "-garren" to the cardinal number. The cardinal number is the regular number which shows how many of something there are.
Here are some examples:
| Basque | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| lehen | ˈle̞.he̞n | first |
| bigarren | bi.ɣa.rren | second |
| hirugarren | hi.ɾu.ɣa.rren | third |
| laugarren | lau.ɣa.rren | fourth |
| bostgarren | bos̺.ɣa.rren | fifth |
| seigarren | sei̯.ɣa.rren | sixth |
| zazpigarren | s̺as̺.pi̯i̯.ɣa.rren | seventh |
| zortzigarren | s̺or̺.t͡s̺i.ɣa.rren | eighth |
| bederatzi garren | be̞.de̞.ɾat͡si.ɣa.rren | ninth |
| hamargarren | hamar.ɣa.rren | tenth |
As you can observe, adding "-garren" forms Basque ordinal numbers from one to ten.
When forming ordinal numbers from 11 onwards, you add "-garren" to the following cardinal multiples of 10: 10, 20, 30, and so on. Next, the following cardinal numbers are added up to the multiple of 10 that we want, and we add the suffix "-garren" to the resulting number. Here are some examples:
| Basque | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| hamaikagarren | hama.i.ka.ɣa.rren | eleventh |
| hamahirugarren | hama.i.ɾu.ɣa.rren | thirteenth |
| hogaztarren | ho.ɣas̺.ta.rren | twentieth |
| hirurogeitagarren | hi.ɾu.ɾo.ɣe̞i̯.ta.ɣa.rren | seventy-third |
Note that the cardinal number "eta" or "and" is used to separate the multiple of 10 and the remaining number. As with most Basque numbers, ordinal numbers agree in gender with the noun they modify.
Using Ordinal Numbers
Now that you have learned how to form ordinal numbers in Basque, let's have a look at how we use them in sentences.
Ordinals are placed before the noun they describe, just like in English. Here are some examples:
- Lehen aldiz egon naiz Afrikara (I went to Africa for the first time)
- Bigarren mailan kokatuta daude (They are in second place)
- Hizkuntza hirugarren mailan kokatuta dago (Language is in third place)
When there is an ordinal in a sentence, it is common to use the definite article, as in English. Here are some examples:
- Beste aktore famatu askoren artean zortzigarren mailan egon da (He has been ranked eighth among the most famous actors)
- Azken hogeita bederatzigarren kultura-ikastaroen bilera idatz dugu (We have written the minutes of the 29th cultural course meeting)
In more formal contexts, ordinals are sometimes replaced by Roman numerals. This is common in academic or historical contexts. For example:
- III. Mundu gerran Euskal Herrian gertatu zen (It happened in the Basque Country during World War III)
Practice
Now it's time to practice your Basque ordinal number skills!
- Translate the following sentences into Basque:
1. We are in fifth grade. 2. He was the fourth person to arrive. 3. I will be the tenth one to leave.
- Translate the following Basque sentences into English:
1. Hirurogeitaseigarren kongresua antolatu dugu. 2. Gazte ekitaldiaren zazpigarren edizioa ospatuko dugu. 3. Azken hamaikatik lehenengoa izan da.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you have learned how to form and use Basque ordinal numbers from first to tenth and beyond. Congratulations! You are now equipped with the tools to communicate your ranking in a sequence or someone else's ranking. Keep practicing using ordinal numbers in context to build your fluency in Basque!