vigésimo tercero
/bixesimo teɾθeɾo/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for twenty-third is vigésimo tercero.
vigésimo tercero is the ordinal form of the number twenty-three. It can be used as an adjective to describe something in the twenty-third position, or as a noun to refer to a person or thing in that position or to one of twenty-three equal parts of a whole.
Meaning: the ordinal form of the number twenty-three (adj)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
This phrase functions as an adjective and must agree in both gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use vigésimo tercero for masculine singular nouns, and vigésimo tercera for feminine singular nouns. For masculine plural nouns, use vigésimos terceros and for feminine plural nouns, use vigésimas terceras.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When referring to a specific day of a month, such as the 23rd of May, do not use the ordinal form. Instead, use the cardinal number veintitrés.
Did you know?
- While vigésimo tercero is the grammatically correct term for 'twenty-third', many native speakers find ordinal numbers above ten so cumbersome that they simply use the cardinal veintitrés in casual speech.
- In written Spanish, the ordinal form is often represented by the symbol 23.º, where the superscript 'o' indicates the masculine gender of the word vigésimo tercero.
- In Spanish, the word tercero is an 'apocopated' adjective, meaning it drops its final vowel to become tercer when placed before a masculine singular noun.
Examples in context
- El documento será entregado el vigésimo tercero de septiembre.The document will be delivered on the twenty-third of September.
- El vigésimo tercer puesto es tuyo.The twenty-third position is yours.
- Es el vigésimo tercero de la lista.It is the twenty-third on the list.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are looking at a calendar.
- ElenaCuándo es tu cumpleaños, Javier?When is your birthday, Javier?
- JavierEs el vigésimo tercero de agosto.It is the twenty-third of August.
- Elena¡Qué bien! Falta muy poco.Great! It's coming up soon.
- JavierSí, ya casi es mi día.Yes, it's almost my day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “twenty-third” translations and entries vigésimo tercero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
