The word tercero is a cardinal number (ordinal).
The phonetic transcription of tercero in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is /teɾˈθe.ɾo/ in Spain and /teɾˈse.ɾo/ in Latin America.
In Spanish, tercero means "third" and it is used to indicate the ordinal number that follows "segundo" (second) and precedes "cuarto" (fourth). It is commonly used in various contexts, both formal and informal, to describe positions in sequences, rankings, or lists. It is frequently employed in both oral and written communication.
Juan llegó tercero en la carrera.
Juan finished third in the race.
El tercero de octubre es mi cumpleaños.
The third of October is my birthday.
Ella es la tercera persona en hablar.
She is the third person to speak.
The word tercero is frequently used in various idiomatic expressions. Here are some of them:
A río revuelto, ganancia de pescadores.
In troubled waters, fishermen gain.
(Used to indicate that in chaotic situations, some people can take advantage, often known as a "third party" benefitting.)
Tercero en discordia.
Third party in dispute.
(Refers to an outsider who gets involved in a situation or conflict between two parties.)
Example:
El abogado se convirtió en el tercero en discordia en la disputa familiar.
The lawyer became the third party in dispute in the family feud.
Example:
Él siempre quiere ser el tercero en la lista de tareas.
He always wants to be third on the to-do list.
The word tercero comes from the Latin word tertius, which also means "third." The evolution from Latin to Spanish involved phonetic changes as the language developed and transitioned over centuries.
In summary, the term tercero plays a significant role in Spanish as both a basic mathematical concept as well as an element of idiomatic expressions, illustrating its versatility and frequent use in everyday language.