第

dì

noun #488

Meanings

1 ordinal number prefix (1st, 2nd, 3rd...)

Characters

ordinal prefix (1st, 2nd...)

竹 (bamboo) + 弟 (younger brother) — bamboo slips ordered by rank

Examples

第一次来中国。

Dì yī cì lái Zhōngguó.

First time coming to China.

他是第三个到的。

Tā shì dì sān gè dào de.

He was the third to arrive.

第二天我就走了。

Dì èr tiān wǒ jiù zǒu le.

I left on the second day.

Tips

grammar

第 + number = ordinal: 第一 (first), 第二 (second), 第三 (third). Simple and consistent, unlike English which has irregular forms (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

Stroke Order

第 dì