N+째

Overview

N+째 is a particle used to form ordinal numbers from native Korean cardinal numbers. It indicates the sequential order or position of a noun, often emphasizing its place in a series, especially in contexts like birth order or specific items.

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Usage

This grammatical element is affixed directly to a native Korean number to denote its rank or sequence. It is commonly used to express:

1. Birth order among siblings or children: For example, 첫째 아들 (the first son), 둘째 딸 (the second daughter).
2. Order of specific items or parts: Such as 다섯째 손가락 (the fifth finger).
3. General sequential position, though -번째 is more common for general 'Nth turn/time/floor'.

It transforms a simple count into a position within a sequence, giving the number an ordinal meaning.

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Conjugation Rules

N+째 attaches directly to native Korean numbers. While most numbers simply add 째, the first four have irregular, commonly used forms:

• 하나 (one) + 째 → 첫째 (the first)
• 둘 (two) + 째 → 둘째 (the second)
• 셋 (three) + 째 → 셋째 (the third)
• 넷 (four) + 째 → 넷째 (the fourth)

For numbers five and above, you simply attach 째 to the native Korean number:

• 다섯 (five) + 째 → 다섯째 (the fifth)
• 여섯 (six) + 째 → 여섯째 (the sixth)

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Knowledge Plus

While both -째 and -번째 are used to form ordinal numbers, they have subtle differences in usage:

• -째 is primarily used for birth order (e.g., 첫째 아들, the first son) or when the number itself is the focus of the order (e.g., 다섯째 손가락, the fifth finger). It can also imply 'the Nth of a kind'.
• -번째 is a more general way to express 'the Nth turn, time, floor, or item in a sequence' (e.g., 첫 번째 순서, the first turn; 세 번째 층, the third floor). It is generally more versatile for counting turns or instances.

Therefore, while you might say '첫째 아들' (first son), you would typically say '첫 번째 순서' (first turn/order), not '첫째 순서'.