"Femte hjulet"

Translation: The fifth wheel

[MarkBorkBorkBork]

Does this expression mean a fifth wheel as in an odd person out, or a fifth wheel as the connector between a tractor-trailer? Or both?

[Berniebud]

As in an odd person out, yes. It equates to the English "Third wheel" (Or fifth wheel if that happens to work in your dialect)

[Victor-Lecomte]

That also works in French, where you'd be "la cinquième roue du carrosse" (the fifth wheel of the carriage). At least you get to be part of a luxury vehicle from fairy tales. :)

[onedayends]

In Lithuanian we say something that would translate to "The fifth leg of a dog" :)

[AuksSlunyt]

Never heard of that expression before and I'm from Lithuania as well. Great to learn new things! :)

[Morgannie]

I will have to remember that one Kristina.

[Malgosia007]

In Polish we have the same expression, "Piąte koło u wozu".

[supu1]

In Italian: "l'ultima ruota del carro" which means "the last wheel of the carriage". The last wheel is the spare wheel which happens to be the fifth.

[Louis_XIV.]

In german we say "Das fünfte Rad am Wagen", which is the exact translation of the french version haha

[Sven-Ska]

I think "Third wheel" is best in English. Fifth wheel makes it sound more like a spare wheel for you car...

[MarkBorkBorkBork]

Fifth wheel can also refer to a single person going along with two couples, but I do agree that third wheel is more common situation and expression.

[stephenbal4]

This can technically go as high as you want. I once referred to myself as the 17th wheel or something, because I was eating at a restaurant by myself and the rest of the tables were couples (and I counted them).

[ShadowMetaru]

Third wheel of a bike or fifth wheel of a car. ☺
Although I do think that functioning tricycles are more common...

[takver]

Should one always use the definite ending on a noun when one is describing it as first, third, fifth and so forth?

[Zmrzlina]

Preferrably, but not necessarily. You could say it in the indefinite, but then add the article too: Vi behöver ett femte hjul ("We need a fifth wheel").

[Nivoo]

Much like the German term for 'third wheel', das funfte rad am wagen.

[Metlieb]

Except that das fünfte means the fifth ;)

[oomikami]

Just like me

[SagiEzov]

We have an exparassion in Hebrew: "גלגל חמישי" (galgal khamishi) which is translated to, and means, excactly the same (:

[Metropolitan03]

Why is it "femte hjulet" and not "det femte hjulet"?

[Blaine-Thomas]

Some adjectives don't require adding the definite article. I guess counting words are one of those cases.