Ordinal Numbers in Native Japanese

The ordinal numbers in Native Japanese can be expressed in Native Japanese but only partially and usually only up to 9th or 10th in some cases.

"me" is almost equivalent to the English "th" or more general as "me" (め、目) is used for 1st, 2nd and 3rd while these three have no "th" in English. The original meaning of "me" is  "eye" but have several different meanings derived from "eye". One of these meaning is "index" like in "me-jirushi" (めじるし、目印) literally "eye" - "mark".

1st - hito-tsu-me (ひとつめ, 一つ目)
2nd - huta-tsu-me (ふたつめ, 二つ目)
3rd - mit-tsu-me (みっつめ, 三つ目)
4th - yot-tsu-me (よっつめ, 四つ目)
5th - i-tsu-tsu-me (いつつめ, 五つ目)
6th - mut-tsu-me (むっつめ, 六つ目)
7th - nana-tsu-me (ななつめ, 七つ目)
8th - yat-tsu-me (やっつめ, 八つ目)
9th - kokono-tsu-me (ここのつめ, ここのつ目)
10th - to-me (*) , which is wrong. We use partially Chinese for 10th, ju-ban-me　(じゅうばんめ, 十番目). "me" (め、目) is still used.

"ban-me" continues to be used after 10th

11th - ju-ichi-ban-me (じゅういちばんめ, 十一番目)
12th - ju-san-ban-me　(じゅうにばんめ, 十二番目)
     "
     "
20th - ni-ju-ban-me　(にじゅうばんめ, 二十番目)
21st - ni-ju-ichi-ban-me　(にじゅういちばんめ, 二十一番目)
     "
     "
30th - san-ju-ban-me　(さんじゅうばんめ, 三十番目)

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For the persons in cardinal numbers, also used "me" but only up to 4th now.

1st person - hito-ri-me　(ひとりめ, 一人目)　(the Chinese version "ichi-nin-me" (いちにんめ,
一人目) is possible but rarely used)　
2nd person - huta-ri-me　(ふたりめ, 二人目) (the Chinese version "ni-nin-me" (ににんめ,
二人目) is possible not commonly used)　
3rd person - mita-ri-me (みたりめ) (this may not be wrong but almost never heard. "san-nin-me" (さんにんめ, 三人目)　is used instead.)
4th person - yottari--me  (よったりめ) (not wrong so can be used. But usually "yo-nin-me" (よにんめ, 四人目) is used.
5th person - go-nin-me (ごにんめ, 五人目) - "go-nin" (ごにん, 五人) in Chinese origin. (probably we use to have "ittari-me" (いったりめ) but never heard so dead already)
6th person - roku-nin-me (ろくにんめ, 六人目)
     "
     "
10th person - ju-nin-me (じゅうにんめ, 十人目)
11th peeron - ju-ichi-nin-me (じゅういちにんめ, 十一人目)
12th person - ju-ni-nin-mw (じゅうさんにんめ, 十三人目)
     "
     "
20th person - ni-ju-nin-me (にじゅうにんめ, 二十人目)

"ri" (り) sounds like Native Japanese meaning "person". But we have a basic word for person, human being, people "hito", which sounds equivalent to the Native Japanese "one". Is this coincidence?

The followings are not used but can be easily understood and sound Native Japanese, of course.

1st person - hito-hito-me (ひとひとめ)
2nd person - huta-hito-me (ふたひとめ)
3rd person - mit-tsu-hito-me or more likely mi-hito-me (みっつひとめ, みひとめ)
4th person - yot-tsu-hito-me or more likely yo-hito-me (よっつひとめ, よひとめ)
5th person - i-tsu-tsu-hito-me  or more likely i-tsu-hito-me or simply i-hoto-me (いつつひとめ, いつひとめ, いひとめ)
6th person - mut-tsu-hito me or more likely mu-hito-me (むっつひとめ, むひとめ)
7th person - nana-tsu-hito me or more likley nana-hito-me (ななつひとめ, ななひとめ)
8th person - yat-tsu-hito me or more likely ya-hito-me (やっつひとめ, やひとめ)
9th person - kokono-tsu-hito-me or more liklely kokono-hito-me (ここのつひとめ, ここのひとめ)

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Likewise we have 1st time "word" (say or mention)  2nd time "word"(say)

1st time "word" - hito-koto-me (ひとことめ)
2nd time "word" - huta-koto-me (ふたことめ)

But "hito-koto-me" (ひとことめ)　is seldom used. And " huta-koto-me" (ふたことめ)　has a colloquial meaning, which is often used than the original meaning -  2nd time "word"(say), and means "to repeat the same thing" sort of.

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We have the cardinal numbers of the days and also used "me" to form them. All of them Native Japanese until the day 10th.

1st day -  tsuitachi - tsuitachi-me (ついたちめ) (this is wrong so not used. The Chinese origin "ichi-nichi-me" (いちにちめ) is used. Oｒ the Native Japanese "hajime no hi" (はじめのひ) is used.
2nd day - hu-tsu-ka - me　(ふつかめ, 二日目)
3rd day - mi-kka - me　(みっかめ, 三日目)
4th day - yo-kka - me　(よっかめ, 四日目)
5th day - itsu-ka - me　(いつかめ, 五日目)
6th day - mui-ka - me　(むいかめ, 六日目)
7th day - nano-ka - me　(なのかめ, 七日目)　(not ”nana-ka-me” (ななかめ))
8th day - yō-ka - me　(ようかめ, 八日目)　　(not ”ya-ka-me” (やかめ))
9th day - kokono-ka - me　(ここのかめ, 九日目)
10th day - tō-ka - me　(とうかめ, 十日目)

11th day - ju-ichi-nichi-me　(じゅういちにちめ, 十一日目)
     "
     "
20th day - hatsuka-me (はつかめ) is OK as well as niju-nichi-me (にじゅういちにちめ, 二十日目).

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One big advantage of the Japanese ordinal number system is that we have interrogative word for "which th" by using "me" (め) - iku-tsu-me " (いくつめ) in Native Japanese (quite OK) and man-ban-me (なんばんめ, 何番目) (the first two syllables are Chinese origin and "me" is still used.

So " me" or "eye" is very important and convenient although we seldom think of the importance of our eyes.


sptt