Ordinal Numbers (Prvi, Drugi, Treći)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Ordinal numbers in Croatian function like adjectives, agreeing in gender, number, and case with the noun, and always written with a dot.
- Always put a dot after the digit: 1. (prvi), 2. (drugi), 10. (deseti).
- They decline exactly like definite adjectives: prvi (m), prva (f), prvo (n).
- In compound numbers, only the last digit becomes ordinal: dvadeset prvi (21st).
Declension of 'Prvi' (First) - Singular
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nominative
|
prvi
|
prva
|
prvo
|
|
Genitive
|
prvog(a)
|
prve
|
prvog(a)
|
|
Dative
|
prvom(u)
|
prvoj
|
prvom(u)
|
|
Accusative
|
prvi/prvog(a)
|
prvu
|
prvo
|
|
Vocative
|
prvi
|
prva
|
prvo
|
|
Locative
|
prvom(u)
|
prvoj
|
prvom(u)
|
|
Instrumental
|
prvim
|
prvom
|
prvim
|
Ordinal Numbers 1-10 (Masculine Nominative)
| Digit | Word | English |
|---|---|---|
|
1.
|
prvi
|
first
|
|
2.
|
drugi
|
second
|
|
3.
|
treći
|
third
|
|
4.
|
četvrti
|
fourth
|
|
5.
|
peti
|
fifth
|
|
6.
|
šesti
|
sixth
|
|
7.
|
sedmi
|
seventh
|
|
8.
|
osmi
|
eighth
|
|
9.
|
deveti
|
ninth
|
|
10.
|
deseti
|
tenth
|
Meanings
Ordinal numbers indicate the position or rank of something in a sequence, such as floors in a building, dates, or centuries.
Sequence and Ranking
Used to denote the order of items in a list or the result of a competition.
“Hrvatska je bila druga na Svjetskom prvenstvu.”
“Ovo je moj prvi posjet Zagrebu.”
Dates
Used to express the day of the month, typically followed by the month in the genitive case.
“Danas je prvi svibnja.”
“Rođen sam desetog lipnja.”
Centuries and Historical Periods
Used to denote centuries, which are always written with Roman numerals followed by a dot in formal Croatian.
“Živimo u dvadeset prvom stoljeću.”
“To se dogodilo u devetnaestom stoljeću.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Ordinal + Noun
|
Prvi put (First time)
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + Verb + Ordinal
|
Nisam bio prvi (I wasn't first)
|
|
Interrogative
|
Koji + Noun
|
Koji je to kat? (Which floor is that?)
|
|
Dates (Nom)
|
Ordinal (m) + Month (Gen)
|
Danas je prvi svibnja.
|
|
Dates (Gen)
|
Ordinal (Gen) + Month (Gen)
|
Rođen sam prvog svibnja.
|
|
Centuries
|
Roman Numeral + .
|
XXI. stoljeće
|
|
Compound
|
Cardinal + Ordinal
|
Dvadeset prvi (21st)
|
|
Plural
|
Ordinal (Pl) + Noun (Pl)
|
Prvi dani škole (First days of school)
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Nalazim se u prvome redu. (Location at an event)
U prvom sam redu. (Location at an event)
Prvi sam red. (Location at an event)
Tu sam, prvi red. (Location at an event)
Usage of Ordinal Numbers
Time
- Datum Date
- Stoljeće Century
Space
- Kat Floor
- Red Row
Ranking
- Mjesto Place/Rank
- Razred Grade/Class
Cardinal vs. Ordinal
How to write an ordinal?
Is it a digit?
Is it a date?
Irregular vs Regular
Irregular Roots
- • Prvi (1.)
- • Drugi (2.)
- • Treći (3.)
- • Četvrti (4.)
Regular (-i)
- • Peti (5.)
- • Šesti (6.)
- • Deveti (9.)
- • Deseti (10.)
Beispiele nach Niveau
Ovo je moj prvi dan na poslu.
This is my first day at work.
Kava je druga na stolu.
The coffee is the second one on the table.
On je treće dijete u obitelji.
He is the third child in the family.
To je moja prva knjiga.
That is my first book.
Živim na četvrtom katu.
I live on the fourth floor.
Danas je deseti kolovoza.
Today is the tenth of August.
On je bio peti u utrci.
He was fifth in the race.
Idem u drugi razred.
I am in the second grade.
Vidimo se dvadeset prvog ožujka.
See you on March 21st.
Uživam u trećem tjednu odmora.
I am enjoying the third week of vacation.
Ovo je već druga greška danas.
This is already the second mistake today.
Oni su u trinaestom redu.
They are in the thirteenth row.
Riječ je o devetnaestom stoljeću.
It is about the nineteenth century.
To je bila njegova prva prava prilika.
That was his first real opportunity.
Stan se nalazi u sedmoj zgradi zdesna.
The apartment is located in the seventh building from the right.
Pobijedio je po stoti put.
He won for the hundredth time.
Analiziramo događaje iz prve polovice godine.
We are analyzing events from the first half of the year.
On je bio tek trećerangirani kandidat.
He was only the third-ranked candidate.
U drugom su se poglavlju pojavili novi likovi.
New characters appeared in the second chapter.
To je bila prva i posljednja takva odluka.
That was the first and last such decision.
Njegova je teorija bila tek u drugom planu.
His theory was only in the background (secondary).
Prvostupanjska presuda bila je ukinuta.
The first-instance verdict was overturned.
U sedmom je nebu od sreće.
He is in seventh heaven (overjoyed).
To je bila tek prva stepenica ka uspjehu.
That was only the first step towards success.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners use 'jedan' when they mean 'prvi'.
Forgetting the dot makes the number cardinal.
Using Nominative for 'on the [date]'.
Häufige Fehler
Ja sam 1 u redu.
Ja sam 1. u redu.
Prvi kava.
Prva kava.
Jedan put.
Prvi put.
Dva kat.
Drugi kat.
Danas je pet siječanj.
Danas je peti siječnja.
U dvadeseti prvom stoljeću.
U dvadeset prvom stoljeću.
Živim na petom katu.
Živim na petom katu.
Sreo sam ga desetog lipanj.
Sreo sam ga desetog lipnja.
To je moja prva prava ljubavi.
To je moja prva prava ljubav.
On je treći u red.
On je treći u redu.
U XIX stoljeću.
U XIX. stoljeću.
Prvostupanjski sud je donio...
Prvostupanjski sud je donio...
Satzmuster
Danas je ___ (date) ___ (month).
Živim na ___ (ordinal) katu.
To se dogodilo u ___ (century) stoljeću.
Ovo mi je ___ (ordinal) put da ___ (verb).
Real World Usage
Pritisni tipku za treći kat.
Vidimo se 15. u gradu.
To je bilo moje prvo radno mjesto.
Mogu li dobiti drugu opciju s menija?
Hajduk je trenutno drugi na ljestvici.
Kralj Tomislav je vladao u desetom stoljeću.
The Dot is Key
Date Genitive
Compound Simplicity
Ground Floor
Smart Tips
Always include the dot after the day to avoid being asked 'One what?'.
Subtract one from the American floor number to get the Croatian 'kat'.
Ignore the first parts and only focus on the last word's ending.
Treat them exactly like Arabic numerals and add the dot.
Aussprache
The 'v' in 'četvrti'
The 'v' is clearly pronounced, not silent as in some English dialects.
Falling accent on 'prvi'
The first syllable is short and falling.
The 'ć' in 'treći'
A soft 'ch' sound, like the 't' in 'future'.
Rising on questions
Koji je danas datum? ↑
Standard inquiry about the date.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
The 'Dot' is the 'Spot' where the order begins. No dot, no spot!
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a race podium. The 1st place winner is holding a giant dot (.), the 2nd place winner has a smaller dot, and the 3rd place winner has a tiny dot. The dot is their trophy.
Rhyme
Prvi, drugi, treći — tko će biti veći?
Story
A traveler arrives at a hotel. He is the 'prvi' guest. He goes to the 'drugi' floor and enters the 'treći' room on the left. He marks every door with a dot to find his way back.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look around your room and name the order of 5 objects using 'prvi', 'druga', 'treće', etc., matching their gender.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Grades are always referred to with ordinals. 'Idem u osmi razred' means I am 14 years old. High school starts over from 'prvi razred srednje škole'.
The 'prizemlje' (ground floor) is not the 1st floor. This causes confusion for North Americans.
Centuries are a point of pride and are always written with Roman numerals in textbooks.
Derived from Proto-Slavic ordinal forms, which were closely linked to the development of definite adjectives.
Gesprächseinstiege
Koji je danas datum?
Na kojem katu živiš?
Koji ti je bio najdraži predmet u prvom razredu?
U kojem stoljeću bi volio živjeti?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Ovo je moja ___ (1.) kava danas.
Danas je ___ siječnja.
Find and fix the mistake:
Živim na peti katu.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
je / Danas / desetog / lipnja / .
In compound numbers like 155th, every word must be an ordinal number.
A: Koji je ovo kat? B: Ovo je ___ (3.) kat.
Vratio se ___ dana.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesOvo je moja ___ (1.) kava danas.
Danas je ___ siječnja.
Find and fix the mistake:
Živim na peti katu.
1., 2., 3.
je / Danas / desetog / lipnja / .
In compound numbers like 155th, every word must be an ordinal number.
A: Koji je ovo kat? B: Ovo je ___ (3.) kat.
Vratio se ___ dana.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
The dot distinguishes ordinal numbers (1. = first) from cardinal numbers (1 = one). It is mandatory in Croatian grammar.
You use the Genitive case: 'prvog'. For example, 'Vidimo se prvog svibnja'.
Yes, in Croatian, Roman numerals used for centuries or rankings also require a dot (e.g., XIX. stoljeće).
Only the last part changes: 'dvadeset prvi'. The 'dvadeset' stays cardinal.
No, it must match the noun. 'Prva' for feminine nouns and 'prvo' for neuter nouns.
The word for last is 'zadnji' or 'posljednji'. It behaves just like an ordinal number.
Usually, we use cardinal numbers for hours (u tri sata), but ordinals are used for dates and centuries.
The roots for 1st (prvi), 2nd (drugi), 3rd (treći), and 4th (četvrti) are unique and should be memorized.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
1st, 2nd, 3rd
Croatian ordinals decline for case and gender; English ones are static.
1., 2., 3.
Croatian has more cases (7) compared to German (4).
1º, 2º, 3º
Spanish ordinals often come before the noun, similar to Croatian, but have different punctuation.
1er, 2e
French ordinals are mostly regular after 'first', while Croatian has more root changes.
一番, 二番 (ichiban, niban)
Croatian uses adjectival suffixes; Japanese uses counter suffixes.
الأول, الثاني
Arabic uses the definite article 'al-' extensively with ordinals; Croatian uses definite adjective endings.
第一, 第二 (dì yī, dì èr)
Croatian is highly inflected; Chinese is completely isolating.
