Ordinal Numbers in French
Premier, Deuxième, Troisième - With Feminine Forms
Spellings verified June 2026 · page updated 2 October 2026
Ordinal numbers in French (first, second, third...) follow a simple rule for numbers 2 and above: add -ième to the cardinal number. If the cardinal ends in e, drop the final e before adding -ième. Two spelling adjustments break this pattern: cinq (five) adds a u to give cinquième, and neuf (nine) changes its f to v for neuvième. Two ranks are named by a word that is not built from the cardinal at all: "premier" for first, and "second", which stands beside the regular "deuxième" for second.
Unlike many languages, French ordinals mostly do not change for gender. Every -ième form is invariable: deuxième, troisième and the rest stay the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine. The two ordinals built on their own word are the exceptions, and both inflect: premier becomes première, and second becomes seconde.
The Core Rule
cardinal + ième = ordinal
deux + ième = deuxième
trois + ième = troisième
quatre (drop e) + ième = quatrième
cinq + u + ième = cinquième (exception)
neuf (f to v) + ième = neuvième (exception)
Ordinals 1 to 20
Swipe the table sideways to read the Notes column.
| # | Masculine | Abbreviation | Notes | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | premier | 1er/1re | Irregular. Only ordinal with distinct masculine/feminine in common use. | |
| 2 | deuxième | 2e | "Second" also valid when exactly two exist, and it abbreviates 2d/2de. | |
| 3 | troisième | 3e | ||
| 4 | quatrième | 4e | ||
| 5 | cinquième | 5e | Cinq adds u before -ième. | |
| 6 | sixième | 6e | ||
| 7 | septième | 7e | ||
| 8 | huitième | 8e | ||
| 9 | neuvième | 9e | Neuf changes f to v. | |
| 10 | dixième | 10e | ||
| 11 | onzième | 11e | ||
| 12 | douzième | 12e | ||
| 13 | treizième | 13e | ||
| 14 | quatorzième | 14e | ||
| 15 | quinzième | 15e | ||
| 16 | seizième | 16e | ||
| 17 | dix-septième | 17e | ||
| 18 | dix-huitième | 18e | ||
| 19 | dix-neuvième | 19e | ||
| 20 | vingtième | 20e |
Higher Ordinals
| Number | Ordinal | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | vingt et unième | |
| 30 | trentième | |
| 40 | quarantième | |
| 50 | cinquantième | |
| 60 | soixantième | |
| 70 | soixante-dixième | |
| 80 | quatre-vingtième | |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dixième | |
| 100 | centième | |
| 1,000 | millième | |
| 1,000,000 | millionième |
Special Usage Rules
Dates
Only the 1st of the month uses an ordinal: le premier mai. All other dates use cardinals: le 2 juin, le 17 avril. This is different from English which says "the second of June".
Monarchs
For kings and queens, use the cardinal: Louis quatorze (XIV), Henri quatre (IV). Exception: François premier (François I). This is opposite to English convention.
Centuries
Centuries use ordinals: le XXIe siècle (the 21st century), le XIXe siècle (the 19th century). The Roman numeral superscript e is standard in written French.
Fractions
Ordinals can form fractions: un deuxième (one second = 1/2), un troisième (one third = 1/3). Demi is also used informally for half.
Writing the Abbreviation: Two Irregular Pairs
The Académie française gives two pairs that do not take a plain e, then one rule for everything else. Plurals add an s. In formal French the suffix is never written 2ème, 2eme or 2ième.
| Word | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| premier | 1er | 1ers |
| première | 1re | 1res |
| second | 2d | 2ds |
| seconde | 2de | 2des |
| deuxième, troisième, and every other form | 2e, 3e, 100e | 2es, 3es, 100es |
Because second and deuxième both name rank two, the same position can be written 2d or 2e depending on which word you chose. The converter below spells the -ième series, so it gives deuxième and 2e.
Source: Académie française, Abréviations des adjectifs numéraux (checked 2 October 2026). The same rule is given by the OQLF Banque de dépannage linguistique.
Ordinal Converter
FAQ
What is the rule for French ordinal numbers?
For all ordinals 2 and above, add -ième to the cardinal. If the cardinal ends in e, drop the e first (quatre becomes quatr-, then quatrième). Exceptions: cinq adds a u (cinquième), neuf changes f to v (neuvième). Only "premier" (first) breaks the pattern; "second" is a separate word used alongside deuxième rather than a product of the rule.
How do you abbreviate French ordinals (1er, 2e, 2d)?
The Académie française gives two irregular pairs and one rule for everything else: premier and première abbreviate 1er and 1re, second and seconde abbreviate 2d and 2de, and all other forms take a plain e (3e, 5e, 100e). Plurals add an s: 1ers, 1res, 2ds, 2des, 2es. Deuxième abbreviates 2e, so a given rank can be written 2d or 2e depending on which word you used. Never write 2ème, 2eme or 2ième in formal style.
What is the difference between "second" and "deuxième"?
Both mean second. The traditional distinction: use "second" when there are only two items (le second tome of a two-volume work), and "deuxième" when there are more (le deuxième jour of a seven-day week). In modern spoken French, deuxième is more common in all contexts. Second is slightly literary or formal.
Do French ordinals have masculine and feminine forms?
Only "premier" (masculine) and "première" (feminine) have distinct forms. From "deuxième" onwards, ordinals do not change for gender: la deuxième fois, le deuxième jour. This is simpler than cardinal numbers which have "un/une" and "vingt et un/vingt et une" distinctions.
How do you write ordinals for kings and monarchs?
For monarchs, use the cardinal not the ordinal: Henri quatre (Henry IV), Louis quatorze (Louis XIV), François premier (François I - only the first uses premier). This is the opposite of English convention where "Henry the Fourth" uses the ordinal.