Which number fast are you observing today?

I asked a non-native this very question the other day. I asked, "how many days of Ramadan fasting are you in today?" He gave an appropriate answer, even though my question many not have been the perfect form. It's a little different from "what size shoe do you wear?"

Thanks, Philip. Am I to understand that my original sentence is correct and natural?

Tom

No, it's not.

We get this question all the time. There is no simple way to ask in English the question that gets "the first" or "the 15th" as the answer. It would be great if we had a question "How manieth?" but we don't.

If you want to know that someone is the fourth child in his family, you have to say something like "Where do you come in the birth order in your family?" or "

Oh, I'm so grateful, Barbara. Your post turned out to be a complete lesson. Please tell me why this sentence is correct. Or is it NOT correct?

What number president is he?

He is the fifth president of the the country.

Thanks again,

Tom

It is incorrect for the reason GG gave.

Mr. TomWhat number president is he?

I guess that would be the best answer if you really had to come up with something, but I believe most native speakers just say something else. A rough guess:

What number is Obama, you know, in order... The 40th, 50th president, you know, what?

We don't have an "official" way to ask that in Ita

Grammar GeekWe get this question all the time. There is no simple way to ask in English the question that gets "the first" or "the 15th" as the answer.


For your question:

How many days have you been fasting?

What number day is this in Ramadan?

Or, of course, Philip's suggestion!


Thanks, MM.

In my last

I don't think that either is 'correct', in the sense that they are not felicitious formations; they are instead rather awkward attempts to fill that gap in the language that others have already commented upon.

17th today