Ordinals beyond the third and fractions: laugarren, erdia, heren
The ordinal numeral Basque assembles from the root and the tail -garren: lau → laugarren — fourth, bost → bosgarren — fifth, hamar → hamargarren — tenth, ehun → ehungarren — hundredth. The first three the row changes — you know them: lehen, bigarren, hirugarren. For example: “Laugarren solairuan bizi naiz, bostehun metroko ibilbidean” — I live on the fourth floor, five hundred meters along the way. A rule from the…
How it works
The ordinal numeral Basque assembles from the root and the tail -garren: lau → laugarren — fourth, bost → bosgarren — fifth, hamar → hamargarren — tenth, ehun → ehungarren — hundredth. The first three the row changes — you know them: lehen, bigarren, hirugarren.
Fractions live on their own ruler: erdia — a half, heren — a third, laurden — a quarter. Numerals do not touch the fractions themselves: bi heren — two thirds, hiru laurden — three quarters. After any number the noun drops the article: biehun ogi — two hundred loaves, not "ogiak".
Table
| the form | the meaning | the example |
|---|---|---|
| … + garren | the ordinal | laugarren, bosgarren, hamargarren |
| erdia / heren / laurden | half / third / quarter | ordu erdi — half an hour |
| number + thing | without the article | biehun ogi, bi heren |
By example
- Laugarren solairuan bizi naiz, bostehun metroko ibilbideanI live on the fourth floor, five hundred meters along the way
- Bi heren auzoa kontra daudeTwo thirds of the neighborhood are against
- Ehungarren bezeroak oparia hartzen duThe hundredth customer takes the present
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Ordinals beyond the third and fractions: how does it work in Basque?
The ordinal numeral Basque assembles from the root and the tail -garren: lau → laugarren — fourth, bost → bosgarren — fifth, hamar → hamargarren — tenth, ehun → ehungarren — hundredth. The first three the row changes — you know them: lehen, bigarren, hirugarren.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Laugarren solairuan bizi naiz, bostehun metroko ibilbidean” — I live on the fourth floor, five hundred meters along the way. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.