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prefix HSK 1
dì
(prefix for ordinal numbers) · sequence marker

Meaning

第 is a prefix attached to numbers to turn them into ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.). It cannot stand alone and must be followed by a number. For example, 第一 means 'first', 第二 means 'second', and so on.

Usage

Native speakers use 第 whenever they need to express order or sequence. It appears in dates (第一天 'the first day'), rankings (第三名 'third place'), and lists. It's almost always followed immediately by a number with no space.

Examples

  1. 01
    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.
  2. 02
    他住在第五层。
    Tā zhù zài dì wǔ céng.
    He lives on the fifth floor.

Common collocations

  • 第一次
    dì yī cì
    the first time
  • 第二天
    dì èr tiān
    the second day, the next day
  • 第三名
    dì sān míng
    third place
  • 第几
    dì jǐ
    which number (in a sequence)

Origin

Originally depicted bamboo slips used for record-keeping in ancient China, where items were arranged in sequential order.

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