Ordinal Numbers

Para decir las fechas en inglés, necesitamos conocer los números ordinales. Aquí os adjunto un pequeño resumen que puede resultar útil.

                   Table of Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal Numbers from 1 through 90

1

st

first

11

th

eleventh

21

st

twenty-first

31

st

thirty-first

2

nd

second

12

th

twelfth

22

nd

twenty-second

40

th

fortieth

3

rd

third

13

th

thirteenth

23

rd

twenty-third

50

th

fiftieth

4

th

fourth

14

th

fourteenth

24

th

twenty-fourth

60

th

sixtieth

5

th

fifth

15

th

fifteenth

25

th

twenty-fifth

70

th

seventieth

6

th

sixth

16

th

sixteenth

26

th

twenty-sixth

80

th

eightieth

7

th

seventh

17

th

seventeenth

27

th

twenty-seventh

90

th

ninetieth

8

th

eighth

18

th

eighteenth

28

th

twenty-eighth

9

th

ninth

19

th

nineteenth

29

th

twenty-ninth

10

th

tenth

20

th

twentieth

30

th

thirtieth

Formación

Se añade -th   a los números cardinales

§  four - fourth

     eleven - eleventh

Excepciones:

§  one - first

§  two - second

§  three - third

§  five - fifth

§  eight - eighth

§  nine – ninth

§  .twelve - twelfth

                                                    

One of the things my students find incredible about the English language is that a figure like zero should have so many different names. Have you ever come to think about it? I don’t know if this happens in other languages, but at least it doesn’t happen in Spanish...

It’s not only that it has many names, but also they are used in different contexts. Let’s have a look:

• Zero. This word derives from the Arab word sifr, meaning “empty”. It is mainly used in mathematics: counting, percentages, decimals..., and also when talking about the temperature: 0º C (zero degrees Celsius)
• Nought or naught  in American English is an older word for zero. It comes from Old English nowiht, meaning “nothing”. Today, its use is very similar to that of zero. He wrote a cheque with a figure containing five noughts. The famous game tic-tac-toe in which the players try to make a line of three noughts or crosses between vertical and horizontal lines is also called nougths and crosses.

Noughts and crosses
Image in http://www.flickr.com/photos/49719028@N00/103958463 

• Nil comes from Latin nihil , meaning “nothing”. It is used in sports such as football, especially in British English. They won by three goals to nil.
• O (often spelled oh) is used when giving telephone numbers and addresses, talking about time and also in the designation of James Bond: 007 (double o seven). It’s 4:09 (four oh nine). I live at 207 Melbourne Avenue (two oh seven).

http://fondoswall.blogspot.com

• Love is used in tennis. It’s origin is difficult to trace, but it’s been used to mean zero in this sport since the 18th century. Nadal is winning 40-0 (forty love)

Rafael Nadal
Image in: http://www.flickr.com/photos/66727626@N00/362013007

• Duck is zero in cricket. The term is short for “duck’s egg”, which is supposed to look like the shape of the number “0”. Jones was dismissed for a duck in the first-innings.
• Zilch is slang for zero or nothing. The U.S. personal-savings rate has risen from zilch last year to 3 percent of disposable income.
• Zip is American slang for zero. I received zip for money after doing the job for them.

Do you know any other name for zero?

In the following video we will hear how to say different numbers, including some of the names of zero