第一 dì-yī — first, number one
dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level)di4yi1
first, number one
HSK 2· HSK 1–4 (classic)numeral
Meanings
first, number one
The ordinal "first". Chinese builds every ordinal the same way — the prefix 第 in front of the number — so 第二 is second and 第三 third. The measure word still follows: 第一个.
numeral
Example sentences
- 我第一次来中国。我第一次來中國。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) cì (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) Zhōngguó. (first tone, high and level)···
This is my first time in China.
- 这是我第一天上班。這是我第一天上班。Zhè (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) tiān (first tone, high and level) shàngbān. (fourth tone, falling)···
This is my first day at work.
Common mistakes
Not quite一个学生来了。
Correct第一个学生来了。
一个 counts — "one student"; 第一个 ranks — "the first student". Without 第 the sentence says how many, not which one.