Üçüncü

Üçüncü is the Turkish ordinal adjective meaning “third.” It is used to indicate the third item in a sequence or rank and corresponds to the cardinal number üç (three). The form is created by adding the ordinal suffix to the stem, resulting in Üçüncü. Turkish ordinal forms follow vowel harmony, and the suffix can appear as -ıncı, -inci, -uncu, or -üncü depending on the stem; for üçüncü, the suffix appears as -üncü.

In practice, Üçüncü is used before a noun to specify order, such as in phrases like Üçüncü gün (the third day), Üçüncü sınıf (the third grade), or Üçüncü bölüm (the third section). Turkish adjectives, including ordinals, generally do not change for gender or number, so the noun determines pluralization or case, as in Üçüncü günler (the third days) or Üçüncü günün (of the third day).

Üçüncü also appears in titles and formal naming, where it denotes rank or sequence in lists, chapters, or historical timelines—examples include Üçüncü Dünya Savaşı (Third World War) or other ordered designations. Beyond its basic numeric meaning, Üçüncü is part of a broader system of Turkish ordinals formed from numerals via the -ıncı/-inci/-uncu/-üncü suffix set, reflecting Turkish’s agglutinative and vowel-harmonized morphology.