Qonda ukuthi yini a inombolo ye-ordinal Akuwona umsebenzi onzima nhlobo, lapho kungasekho mbono wokufunda ngakho, ngokucaciswa okulula noma ngubani kufanele awuthole kahle lo mbono. Ngokwayo, inombolo ekhombisa ukuma okuqondile kwanoma yiluphi uhlobo lwento ngaphakathi kwesethi enikeziwe ibizwa nge-ordinal. Lokhu kunikeza ukulandelana okuhle kuzakhi ezethulwe kusethi eshiwo, zine-oda elihlonishwayo, elifinyelela ethubeni lokuthi azinamkhawulo.
Isibonelo, kufana nokuthi inombolo yokuqala (1) ihamba ngaphambi kweyesibili (2), ukuthi eyesibili itholakala ngaphambi kweyesithathu (3), kuthi eyesithathu ibekwe ngaphambi kweyesine (4) nokuthi lokhu kuzohamba ngaphambi kwesihlanu (5) sesikhundleni, ukuthatha isibonelo esibi, njalonjalo ku-ad infinitum.
Njengoba kushiwo, khumbula ukuthi ulimi lusivumela ukuthi sibheke ezinombolweni ezingenamkhawulo zohlobo lwe-ordinal.
Ngakho-ke ake sifunde kusuka ku-1 kuye ku-20 ukuthi izinombolo ze-ordinal zibhalwa kanjani:
1 = Okokuqala
Okwesibili = Okwesibili
Okwesithathu = Okwesithathu
Okwesine = Okwesine
5th = Owesihlanu
6th = Yesithupha
Okwesikhombisa = Okwesikhombisa
Okwesishiyagalombili = Owesishiyagalombili
9th = Owesishiyagalolunye
Okweshumi = Okweshumi
11 = Oweshumi nanye
Okweshumi nambili = Okweshumi nambili
Okwesithathu = Okweshumi nantathu
14 = Okweshumi nane
Okweshumi nanhlanu = Okweshumi nanhlanu
16 = Sithupha
I-17 = Yeshumi nesikhombisa
18th = Eyishumi nesishiyagalombili
19 = Ishumi nesishiyagalolunye
Umhlaka 20 = Wamashumi amabili