Ordinal numbers

Ngā nama.
Ordinal numbers.

When explaining the position of something in a series, the word tua- is used in front of numbers from one to nine e.g. third = tuatoru. Tua- is not used for numbers ten (tekau) and above.

Hei tauira:

I riro i a ia te tūranga tuatahi.
He/She won first place.

Ko ia te Pirimia tuatahi o Aotearoa.
He was the first Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Ko ia te tuawhā o āna tamāhine.
She is the fourth of his/her daughters.

Ko ia te tangata tuarua ki te eke i te hōiho rā.
He/She is the second person to ride that horse.

I riro i a ia te tūranga tuatoru.
He/She won third place.

For further explanations and exercises: Te Kākano p.16.

Haere ki te Whakamātautau tatau kei runga i te whārangi nei ki te ako i ēnei momo kupu.
Go to number practice at the top of this page to practise these numbers. When there choose “Random Test”, then under “1. Select a type of number to test:” choose “1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.”