第 meaning in English
(prefix indicating ordinal number, as in 第六[di4 liu4] "sixth"); (literary) grades in which successful candidates in the imperial examinations were placed
Meaning of 第
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (prefix indicating ordinal number, as in 第六[di4 liu4] "sixth")
- (literary) grades in which successful candidates in the imperial examinations were placed
- (old) residence of a high official
- (literary) but; however
- (literary) only; just
How to use 第
Put 第 before a number to turn it into an ordinal, usually followed by a measure word or noun. It appears in very common words like 第一 (dìyī) "first" and 第一次 (dìyīcì) "the first time". Example: 这是我第一次来中国。(Zhè shì wǒ dì-yī cì lái Zhōngguó.) This is my first time coming to China.
第 (dì) has the bamboo top ⺮, like the rows of bamboo strips or slips that were kept in order. Picture bamboo slips lined up and numbered: first, second, third.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 第 with 弟 (dì, younger brother), which has the same sound but no bamboo top ⺮. Another trap is leaving out the measure word: say 第三本书 (dì-sān běn shū), not 第三书.
第 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
第 dì · prefix indicating ordinal number · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Related words
Words that share a character with 第.
| 第二 | dì-èr | second; number two |
| 第一手 | dìyīshǒu | first-hand |
| 第一线 | dìyīxiàn | front line; forefront |
| 第一次 | dìyīcì | the first time; for the first time |
| 第一 | dìyī | first; most important; primary; foremost |
| 第二次 | dì'èrcì | the second time; the second occurrence |
| 第二天 | dì'èrtiān | next day; the morrow |
| 第五 | dìwǔ | fifth |
| 第一步 | dìyībù | step one; first step |
| 第四季 | dìsìjì | fourth quarter |
| 第一眼 | dìyīyǎn | at first glance; at first sight |
| 第一夫人 | dìyīfūrén | First Lady (wife of the head of state) |
Questions about 第
What does 第 mean?
第 (dì) means "(prefix indicating ordinal number, as in 第六[di4 liu4] "sixth"); (literary) grades in which successful candidates in the imperial examinations were placed" and is used as a prefix.
How do you write 第?
第 is made of 1 character: 第 (11 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 第 an HSK word?
Yes. 第 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 第一 different from 一 when counting?
一 (yī) is the number one, used for quantity, as in 一个人 (yí ge rén) "one person". 第一 (dìyī) means "first" in an order or ranking, as in 第一个人 (dì-yī ge rén) "the first person".
Does 第 have any meaning besides ordinal numbers?
Yes, but only in old or literary Chinese. It could mean the grades of imperial exam candidates, the residence of a high official, or "but" and "only". In modern everyday speech you will almost always see it as the ordinal prefix.