Ordinal numbers with "di"
- Also known as: 序数 (xùshù), ordinals and sequence numbers.
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Level
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Similar to
- Age with "sui" (A1)
- Measure word "ge" (A1)
- Measure words for counting (A2)
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Used for
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Keywords
We use ordinal numbers to express things like "number one" or "second," so mastering them in Chinese is important. Fortunately, they are also very easy to learn by just adding the prefix 第 (dì).
Contents
Basic Pattern
In English, there are four different suffixes for ordinal numbers: -st, -nd, -rd and -th. Chinese makes things a lot simpler by using one prefix for all ordinal numbers: 第 (dì). This character is simply placed in front of the number:
Structure
第 + Number
Examples
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 第 一 | The first |
| 第 二 | The second |
| 第 三 | The third |
| 第 四 | The fourth |
| 第 五 | The fifth |
| 第 六 | The sixth |
| 第 七 | The seventh |
| 第 八 | The eighth |
| 第 九 | The ninth |
| 第 十 | The tenth |
Full Pattern with Measure Words
You can also add in a measure word and a noun to make the structure a bit fuller.
Structure
第 + Number + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
- 我 是 第 一 个 到 公司 的 人。I'm the first person that came to the office.
- 他 要 坐 早上 第 一 班 地铁 去 上班。He needs to take the first train in the morning to go to work.
- 小李 是 她 的 第 三 个 男朋友。Little Li is her third boyfriend.
- 我 的 第 一 个中文 老师 是 美国 人。My first Chinese teacher was American.
- 爸爸 的 第 一 个手机 是 NOKIA。Dad‘s first cell phone was a NOKIA.
- 你 的 第 一 个工作 是 什么？What was your first job?
- 到 美国 的 第 二个 月，我 找到 了 工作。I found a job the second month I was in America.
- 第 二 行 第 五 个 汉字 怎么 读？How do you read the fifth character from the second line?
- 这 次 考试，我 是 我们 班 第 一。This time we tested, I was first in our class. (Meaning: I was the best in class)
- 这 次 比赛，我们 班 第 一，他们 班 第 二。In this contest, our class is the first, their class is the second. (Meaning: We are the best, they are the second best).
Note that there are some words that don't use measure words because they themselves are already measure words. For example: 天 (tiān), 年 (nián), 周 (zhōu), 次 (cì) etc.
- 第 一 天，我们 在 宾馆 里。On the first day, we will be in the hotel.
- 来 上海 以后 的 第 二 年，他 开 了 这 家 公司。He started this company his second year after coming to Shanghai.
- 下 个 月 的 第 一 周 老板 要 出差。The boss needs to go on a business trip the first week of next month.
- 这 是 我 第 一 次 去 北京。This is my first time going to Beijing.
Exceptions
Note that some nouns can form ordinals without 第 (dì). With these, the number can be used directly. For example, 七楼 (qī lóu) is "the seventh floor," even though there is no 第 (dì).
| Chinese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 楼 | floor (of a building) | 七楼 |
| 层 | floor (of a building) | 一层 |
