In Hindi, ordinal numerals are formed from cardinal numerals by adding the suffix वाँ vaaN.
Ex: सात saat 'seven' - सातवाँ saatvaaN 'seventh'
ग्यारह gyaarah 'eleven' - ग्यारहवाँ gyaarahvaaN 'eleventh'
छियालीस chiyaaliis 'forty-six' - छियालीसवाँ chiyaaliisvaaN 'forty-sixth'
Five ordinal numerals are formed irregularly:
पहला pehlaa - first
दूसरा duusraa - second
तीसरा tiisraa - third
चौथा cauthaa - fourth
छटा chaTaa or छठा chaThaa - sixth
The Hindi ordinal numerals inflect for gender, number, and case in the same way as declinable adjectives. Notice that all of them, except for the five irregular numerals given above, are nasalized at the end.
Ex: पहला मकान pehlaa makaan 'the first house'
पहले मकान pehle makaan 'the first houses'
तीसरे कुत्ते के पास tiisre kutte ke paas 'near the third dog'
दूसरी किताब duusrii kitaab 'the second book'
आठवाँ यात्री aaThvaaN yaatrii 'the eighth passenger'
आठवें यात्री के बाद aaThveN yaatrii ke baad 'after the eighth passenger'
दसवीं औरत dasviiN aurat 'the tenth woman'
See Also: