Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Third in Spanish: Tercero, Tercer, and Tercera
Tercero · adjective / noun · tehr-SEH-roh
Third in Spanish is tercero (tehr-SEH-roh). Before a masculine singular noun it shortens to tercer: el tercer piso (the third floor). The feminine is tercera: la tercera puerta. As a fraction, one-third is un tercio.
Tercero is tehr-SEH-roh, three syllables, stress on SEH.
Es la tercera vez que visito Barcelona.
It's the third time I've visited Barcelona.
Third in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for third, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| tercero | third | tehr-SEH-roh | Default, widely understood |
| tercer | third | shortened form before masculine singular nouns | |
| tercera | third | feminine form | |
| un tercio | third | one-third (fraction) |
How Native Speakers Use Tercero
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Ordinal position
Vivo en el tercer piso del edificio.
I live on the third floor of the building.
Tercer is the shortened form used before masculine nouns.
Feminine ordinal
La tercera pregunta del examen fue la más difícil.
The third question on the exam was the hardest.
Tercera is the feminine form used before feminine nouns.
Fraction
Solo me queda un tercio de la pizza.
I only have a third of the pizza left.
Un tercio is the fractional use of third.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Tercero
Using tercero before a masculine noun
Incorrect: El tercero piso.
Correct: El tercer piso.
Tercero drops the -o before a masculine singular noun, becoming tercer. This is the same rule as primero → primer and bueno → buen.
Using tercer before a feminine noun
Incorrect: La tercer vez.
Correct: La tercera vez.
The shortened form tercer is only for masculine singular nouns. Feminine nouns take the full form tercera.
Lock in Third Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
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See Tercero used by native speakers
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Common Questions About Third in Spanish
- How do you say third in Spanish?
- Third is tercero (tehr-SEH-roh), shortened to tercer before a masculine singular noun, and tercera for feminine nouns.
- When do I use tercer versus tercero?
- Use tercer directly before a masculine singular noun (el tercer libro). Use tercero when the adjective stands alone or comes after the noun (el capítulo tercero, or llegó tercero).
- How do I say 'one-third' in Spanish?
- One-third is un tercio. Two-thirds is dos tercios. These are used in math, cooking, and everyday measurements.