Definitions
Etymology
Originally a variant of 弟 (younger brother), which originally meant "order".
About
Originally a variant of 弟, which meant 'order' (not 'younger brother' as in modern usage), 第 is formed by adding the bamboo radical 竹 above it. The bamboo radical points to the ordered sequence of bamboo slips bound into ancient books, where maintaining the correct order was crucial for reading correctly. The component 弟 here serves as both phonetic indicator and a semantic anchor carrying the sense of order. This association with sequence naturally extended to a broader grammatical ordinal function, and 第 became the standard prefix attached to cardinal numbers to denote rank or position in a series (e.g., 第一 'first'). In historical contexts, the character also designated the mansion of a high official, a meaning likely derived from the hierarchical ranking of aristocratic estates, but this usage is now largely confined to classical literature.
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。
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