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Ordinal numbers are used in German to indicate position or order within a sequence. They answer the question which one? and are commonly used for dates, rankings, floors, chapters, and steps in a process. Unlike cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers behave like adjectives and therefore require adjective endings depending on gender, number, and case.
In this guide, you will learn:
what ordinal numbers are and how they differ from cardinal numbers
how ordinal numbers are formed in German
how ordinal numbers behave grammatically like adjectives
common learner mistakes with endings and date expressions
This guide helps English-speaking learners understand ordinal numbers as adjective-like forms that follow regular declension patterns in German.
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