Turkish Question Kaçıncı

We use the question kaçıncı to get an ordinal number answer, such as birinci (first), ikinci (second), üçüncü (third) etc., as in:

A: Kaçıncı katta oturuyorsunuz? → What floor do you live on?

B: İkinci katta. → On the second floor.

Unlike most question words, kaçıncı does not have an exact equivalent in English. Depending on the context, it may translate as what or which.

Here are some more examples:

• Deniz, sen kaçıncı sınıftasın? → Deniz, what grade are you in?

• Bilgi yarışmasında kaçıncı oldunuz? → What place did you get in the quiz show?

• Game of Thrones’un kaçıncı sezonundasın? → Which season of Game of Thrones are you on?

• Kaçıncı dersteyiz? → Which lesson are we on?

• Kitapta kaçıncı bölümdesin? → Which chapter are you in the book?

Grammar Note

As we see above, the answer is always an ordinal number. The word kaçıncı is formed from the question word kaç (how many) plus the suffix -(ı)ncı, which creates ordinal numbers. With numbers that end in a vowel, (iki, altı, yedi, yirmi, and elli), we omit the initial i or ı of the suffix, producing: ikinci, altıncı, yedinci, yirminci, and ellinci.

Writing Ordinal Numbers in Turkish

There are two common ways:

1. With a period (full stop) after the number:

• 2. kat → the 2nd floor

• 21. yüzyıl → the 21st century

• 9. ay → the 9th month

2. With the suffix –(i)nci added to the number:

• 2’nci kat

• 21’inci yüzyıl

• 9’uncu ay

Practice: Try to Translate

Translate the following sentences into English. Remember: kaçıncı always expects an ordinal number as an answer:

1. Kaçıncı sayfadasın?

2. Kaçıncı katta çalışıyorsun?

3. Maratonda kaçıncı geldin?

4. Takımınız ligde kaçıncı sırada?

5. Bu İstanbul'a kaçıncı gelişiniz?