tercero
/teɾˈθeɾo/
tercero is the Spanish word for the English phrase third.
tercero is an ordinal number used to describe the person or thing that comes after the second one in a series.
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English word 'third', which never changes, tercero must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on the noun: use tercera for a feminine singular noun, terceros for masculine or mixed-gender plural groups and terceras for feminine plural groups. Additionally, the form shortens to tercer when it precedes a masculine singular noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/teɾˈθeɾo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking countries, a tercer tiempo refers to the social gathering and drinking session that takes place after a rugby match.
- When speaking about dates, such as the 'third' of the month, Spanish speakers use the cardinal number tres instead of the ordinal tercero.
- When used to describe a person in a legal or formal dispute, tercero refers to a 'third party' or an outside mediator.
Examples in context
- el tercer mesThe third month
- Es el tercero en la fila.He is the third one in the line.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about their floor in an apartment building.
- ElenaMateo, ¿en qué piso vives?Mateo, what floor do you live on?
- MateoYo vivo en el tercero.I live on the third.
- ElenaYo vivo justo debajo de ti.I live right below you.
- MateoEntonces vives en el segundo.Then you live on the second.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tercero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
