järjestyslukujen

Järjestysluvut, known in English as ordinal numbers, are words or symbols used to indicate position or order in a sequence. They answer the question "which one?" in a series. Unlike cardinal numbers which count quantity (e.g., "three apples"), ordinal numbers specify rank (e.g., "the third apple").

In Finnish, ordinal numbers are formed by adding suffixes to cardinal numbers. For example, "yksi" (one) becomes "ensimmäinen" (first), "kaksi" (two) becomes "toinen" (second), and "kolme" (three) becomes "kolmas" (third). For higher numbers, the suffix "-s" or "-s" is typically added to the cardinal number, often with vowel harmony adjustments. For instance, "neljä" (four) becomes "neljäs" (fourth), and "kymmenen" (ten) becomes "kymmenes" (tenth). Irregular forms exist, especially for the first few numbers.

Ordinal numbers are used in various contexts, such as dates (e.g., "toukokuun viidestoista" - May fifteenth), rankings, and describing stages in a process. They can be declined like adjectives in Finnish, agreeing in case, number, and definiteness with the noun they modify. Understanding ordinal numbers is fundamental for comprehending sequences and relative positions in both spoken and written Finnish.