Czwartym

Czwartym is the instrumental singular form of the Polish ordinal numeral “czwarty,” meaning “fourth.” In Polish grammar, ordinal numerals decline to agree with the gender, number, and case of the nouns they modify. The instrumental case, used to indicate means, accompaniment, or the role of an object, converts “czwarty” (masculine singular nominative) to “czwartym.” The same transformation applies to feminine (“czwartą”) and neuter (“czwartym”) forms, though “czwartym” is primarily associated with masculine and neuter nouns.

The instrumental form appears in contexts such as “z czwartym rokiem” (“with the fourth year”) or “na czwartym miejscu” (“in fourth place”), where it functions to describe a position, sequence, or temporal reference. It can also be used metaphorically, for example, “działał jako czwartym elementem zespołu” (“he acted as the fourth element of the team”), indicating a role within a group.

In written Polish, “czwartym” follows regular declension patterns and is pronounced /ˈt͡ʂftar.tɨm/. Its usage is consistent across formal and informal registers, and it is taught early in language education as part of ordinal numeral conjugation. Understanding the instrumental case of ordinal numbers like “czwartym” is essential for correct sentence construction, especially when expressing means, accompaniment, or functional roles.