sechster

Sechster is a German ordinal numeral meaning "sixth." It is used to indicate position in a sequence, whether in dates, lists, or rankings. Like other ordinals, it declines for gender, case, and number. In front of a masculine noun with a definite article, the form is sechste (der sechste Tag). Without a determiner, as in a bare noun phrase, the strong form sechster can occur (sechster Mann). The corresponding forms for other genders and cases include sechste (feminine nominative), sechstes (neuter nominative), and sechsten (used in several cases, such as dative singular masculine: am sechsten Tag).

Etymology and relatives: Sechster derives from the Germanic root for six, seis or sechs, combined with the ordinal suffix -ter. It is cognate with the English word sixth and related forms in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch zesde.

Usage notes: Sechster is common in everyday German when numbering days, items in a sequence, or positions in competitions. It appears in both descriptive phrases and nominalized forms, for example: der sechste Tag der Woche (the sixth day of the week), am sechsten Tag (on the sixth day), or Der Sechste im Team (the sixth one in the team). As a noun, ordinal numerals can be capitalized in German when referring to a specific position in a sequence, though capitalization rules may vary by context.

See also: German ordinal numbers; der erste, der zweite, der dritte.