18.2) Ordinal Numbers
In the lessonsΒ Counting to 10Β andΒ Counting to 1000, you learned about Bulgarian cardinal numbers, used to denote a quantity. In this lesson, you will learn about ordinal numbers, used to denote a rank, or a position in a series (first, second, etc.).
LikeΒ adjectives, ordinal numbers have to agree in gender and in number with the noun they qualify. Here's the full inflection table for "ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈ", meaning "first":
| Indefinite | Definite | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈ | ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈΡΡ / ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈΡ |
| Feminine | ΠΏΡΡΠ²Π° | ΠΏΡΡΠ²Π°ΡΠ° |
| Neuter | ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΎ | ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΎΡΠΎ |
| Plural | ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈ | ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈΡΠ΅ |
This is a very regular inflection, and you can use the same forms for all ordinal numbers:
| 1st | ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈ | |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Π²ΡΠΎΡΠΈ | |
| 3rd | ΡΡΠ΅ΡΠΈ | |
| 4th | ΡΠ΅ΡΠ²ΡΡΡΠΈ | |
| 5th | ΠΏΠ΅ΡΠΈ | |
| 6th | ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠΈ | |
| 7th | ΡΠ΅Π΄ΠΌΠΈ | |
| 8th | ΠΎΡΠΌΠΈ | |
| 9th | Π΄Π΅Π²Π΅ΡΠΈ | |
| 10th | Π΄Π΅ΡΠ΅ΡΠΈ |
Examples
"ΠΠ»Π°ΡΠ°ΠΌ Π½Π°Π΅ΠΌ Π½Π° ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈΡ Π΄Π΅Π½ ΠΎΡ Π²ΡΠ΅ΠΊΠΈ ΠΌΠ΅ΡΠ΅Ρ" - I pay rent on the first day of each monthβ¨"ΠΠΎΡΠΈΡ Π΅ Π²ΡΠΎΡΠΈΡΡ ΠΌΠΈ ΡΠΈΠ½" - Boris is my second sonβ¨"Π’ΠΎΠ²Π° Π΅ ΡΡΠ΅ΡΠΈΡΡ ΠΏΡΡ, ΠΊΠΎΠ³Π°ΡΠΎ Ρ Π²ΠΈΠΆΠ΄Π°ΠΌ" - It is the third time I see her
Since the ordinal "ending" goes on the last number in a group, you can use those to create bigger ordinal numbers:
| 15th | ΠΏΠ΅ΡΠ½Π°Π΄Π΅ΡΠ΅ΡΠΈ / ΠΏΠ΅ΡΠ½Π°ΠΉΡΠ΅ΡΠΈ |
|---|---|
| 30th | ΡΡΠΈΠ΄Π΅ΡΠ΅ΡΠΈ / ΡΡΠΈΠΉΡΠ΅ΡΠΈ |
| 61st | ΡΠ΅ΡΡΠ΄Π΅ΡΠ΅Ρ ΠΈ ΠΏΡΡΠ²ΠΈ |
| 129th | ΡΡΠΎ Π΄Π²Π°Π΄Π΅ΡΠ΅Ρ ΠΈ Π΄Π΅Π²Π΅ΡΠΈ |
One exception though: the ordinal numerals for the hundreds, thousands, millions and billions are formed with the -Π΅Π½ ending (the Π΅ disappears in the feminine, neuter and plural forms):
- hundredth: ΡΡΠΎΡΠ΅Π½, ΡΡΠΎΡΠ½Π°, ΡΡΠΎΡΠ½ΠΎ, ΡΡΠΎΡΠ½ΠΈ
- thousandth: Ρ ΠΈΠ»ΡΠ΄Π΅Π½, Ρ ΠΈΠ»ΡΠ΄Π½Π°, Ρ ΠΈΠ»ΡΠ΄Π½ΠΎ, Ρ ΠΈΠ»ΡΠ΄Π½ΠΈ
- millionth: ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠΎΠ½Π΅Π½, ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½Π°, ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΎ, ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠΎΠ½Π½ΠΈ
- billionth: ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠ°ΡΠ΄Π΅Π½, ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠ°ΡΠ΄Π½Π°, ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠ°ΡΠ΄Π½ΠΎ, ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠ°ΡΠ΄Π½ΠΈ
Abbreviations
Ordinal numbers are abbreviated with the number followed by a dash and the last two letters: 1-Π²ΠΈ, 2-ΡΠΈ, 3-ΡΠΈβ¦