Ordinal Numbers 1 to 10 in French

French ordinals follow a clean pattern from second onwards: take the cardinal, strip any silent final e, add -ieme. The exceptions are first (premier / premiere) and the small sound-shift rules in cinquieme and neuvieme.

Updated May 2026

NMasculineFeminineAbbrev (M)Abbrev (F)Audio
1premierpremiere1er1re
2deuxiemedeuxieme2e2e
3troisiemetroisieme3e3e
4quatriemequatrieme4e4e
5cinquiemecinquieme5e5e
6sixiemesixieme6e6e
7septiemeseptieme7e7e
8huitiemehuitieme8e8e
9neuviemeneuvieme9e9e
10dixiemedixieme10e10e

Per-row notes

  • 1. Only ordinal with a distinct feminine form built on a different root.
  • 2. Also second / seconde in formal usage; deuxieme is the default.
  • 3. Built from trois with -ieme suffix.
  • 4. The final e of quatre drops before -ieme.
  • 5. A u is inserted to keep the /k/ sound: cinquieme not cincieme.
  • 6. X kept and voiced /z/ before -ieme: /si.zjɛm/.
  • 7. P silent, t voiced: /sɛ.tjɛm/.
  • 8. H stays silent. T voiced into -ieme: /ɥi.tjɛm/.
  • 9. The f of neuf shifts to v before -ieme: neuvieme not neufieme.
  • 10. X voiced /z/ before -ieme: /di.zjɛm/.

Related

Frequently asked

How do you say first in French?

Premier (masculine) or premiere (feminine). Premier is the only French ordinal with a fully distinct feminine form. Premier livre / premiere page. Abbreviated 1er for masculine, 1re for feminine. The old abbreviation 1ere is no longer recommended by the Academie francaise.

What is the abbreviation for second in French?

2e is now standard. Older texts used 2eme or 2ieme but the Academie francaise rectifications of 1990 recommend 2e. The same applies to all ordinals from 2 onwards: 3e, 4e, 5e, etc.

Why is fifth cinquieme and not cincieme?

To preserve the /k/ sound. Without the u, the c before -ieme would become /s/ following standard French orthography. The inserted u keeps cinq pronounced /sɛ̃k/ across both the cardinal and ordinal forms.

Why is ninth neuvieme not neufieme?

The f of neuf shifts to v before the -ieme suffix. This is a standard French sandhi rule: vif becomes vivement, neuf becomes neuvieme. The Larousse and Le Robert both treat neuvieme as the only acceptable form.

How do you abbreviate first, second, third in French?

First: 1er (masculine), 1re (feminine). Second: 2e (gender invariable, since deuxieme is the same). Third: 3e. The pattern continues: 4e, 5e, 6e, 7e, 8e, 9e, 10e. Imprimerie nationale style and the Academie francaise both recommend the bare -e (no -eme or -ieme suffix in the abbreviation).

Sources: Academie francaise (questions de langue), Larousse, Imprimerie nationale style guide.

Updated 2026-05-11