deuxième

Deuxième is a French ordinal numeral meaning second in a sequence. It denotes the position that follows the first (premier) and is used to indicate order in counting, ranking, dates, and enumerations. In sentences it typically functions as an adjective before a noun, as in le deuxième chapitre (the second chapter) or la deuxième fois (the second time). It can also be used as a pronoun when the noun is understood from context, as in le deuxième est plus long.

Etymology and formation: The word is formed from the cardinal number deux (two) with the ordinal suffix -ième, following a common pattern for ordinals in French. The form deuxiè me is used for both masculine and feminine singular nouns, and the plural is deuxièmes. This makes deuxième one of the regular, productive ordinals in French, alongside troisième, quatrième, and so on.

Usage notes: In modern French, deuxième is the standard form for counting positions after premier. The feminine and masculine forms are identical in spelling, though agreement with the noun is shown in the article or determiner (e.g., le deuxième livre, la deuxième fois). The term is preferred in most written and formal contexts for simple counting, while other usages or stylistic choices may appear in specialized phrases or idiomatic expressions.

See also: premier, troisième, cinquième; comparaison with second as used in English and other Romance languages.