Definitions
Etymology
Originally a variant of 弟 (younger brother), which originally meant "order".
About
The character 第, with the bamboo radical 竹 atop the component 弟 (which typically means "younger brother" but here functions phonetically), originally referred to the sequential order of bamboo slips bound together to form texts. This inherent sense of ordering naturally extended to its primary modern function as a prefix forming ordinal numbers, attached to cardinal numerals to indicate rank or position in a series. Historically, 第 also denoted a large mansion or official residence, a meaning likely derived from the ranked sequence of aristocratic estates, though this usage is now largely confined to classical contexts.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这是我的第一次。
他得了第一名。
这是第二本书。
我今天第三次迟到。
她住在第五层楼。
这是我们第一次见面。
他排名第十，成绩不错。
尽管这是第一次尝试，但他做得很好。