First, Second, and Third

Grammar Point:
In Chinese, ordinal numbers are formed by adding the word 第 dì before the cardinal number.

Structure

第 dì + Number

• 1st： 第一 dì yī
• 2nd：第二 dì èr
• 3rd：第三 dì sān
• 4th：第四 dì sì
• 5th：第五 dì wǔ
• 16th：第十六 dì shíliù
• 20th：第二十 dì èrshí
• 31th：第三十一 dì sānshíyī

第 dì + Number + Measure word + N

If you want to describe ordinal numbers with a noun, don’t forget to include a measure word in between.

第dì五wǔ瓶píng水shuǐ第dì五wǔ瓶píng水shuǐ
The fifth bottle of water

第dì六liù塊kuài蛋糕dàngāo第dì六liù块kuài蛋糕dàngāo
The sixth piece of cake

今天jīntiān是shì我wǒ到dào台灣Táiwān的de第一dìyī天tiān今天jīntiān是shì我wǒ到dào台湾Táiwān的de第一dìyī天tiān
Today is my first day in Taiwan.

我wǒ以前yǐqián都dōu聽不懂tīngbùdǒng中文zhōngwén， 但是dànshì第三dìsān個ge月yuè後hòu開始kāishǐ聽得懂tīngdedǒng了le我wǒ以前yǐqián都dōu听不懂tīngbùdǒng中文zhōngwén， 但是dànshì第三dìsān个ge月yuè后hòu开始kāishǐ听得懂tīngdedǒng了le
I used to not understand Chinese, but I started to understand it after the third month.

每měi個ge月yuè第四dìsì週zhōu的de星期五xīngqíwǔ發fā薪水xīnshuǐ每měi个ge月yuè第四dìsì周zhōu的de星期五xīngqīwǔ发fā工资gōngzī
I get paid on the fourth Friday of every month.

很hěn多duō學生xuéshēng學xué的de第一dìyī句jù中文zhōngwén是shì「幹」gàn很hěn多duō学生xuésheng学xué的de第一dìyī句jù中文zhōngwén是shì「操」cào
The first sentence in Chinese that many students learn is “F*ck”

第 dì + Number + 名 míng

名 míng means “number” or “position.” It is used to express the ranking in Chinese.

第一dìyī名míng第一dìyī名míng
First place

第二dìèr名míng第二dìèr名míng
Second place

她tā這次zhècì考試kǎoshì考kǎo了le全班quánbān第dì10 名míng她tā这次zhècì考试kǎoshì考kǎo了le全班quánbān第dì10 名míng
She got the 10th place in the class for this exam.

2020 的de足球zúqiú比賽bǐsài德國déguó拿ná到dào了le第一dìyī名míng2020 的de足球zúqiú比赛bǐsài德国déguó拿ná到dào了le第一dìyī名míng
In the 2020 soccer competition, Germany took the first place.

Exception

Note that some nouns can form ordinals without the use of 第 dì. In such cases, the number can be used directly.

Date

1 月yuè1 號hào1 月yuè1 号hào
January 1st

3 日rì3 日rì
3rd (date)

Floor

5 樓lóu5 楼lóu
5th floor

12 樓lóu12 楼lóu
12th floor

Practice

TouchHover over the space to see the answers.

✔️ He said he is good at cooking, but it looks like his first time.

他tā說shuō他tā很hěn會huì做飯zuòfàn， 但是dànshì看kàn起來qǐlái像xiàng是shì第一dìyī次cì做zuò他tā说shuō他tā很hěn会huì做饭zuòfàn， 但是dànshì看kàn起来qǐlái像xiàng是shì第一dìyī次cì做zuò

✔️ It’s my first time eating such a terrible beef noodle.

我wǒ第一dìyī次cì吃chī到dào這麼zhème可怕kěpà的de牛肉麵niúròumiàn我wǒ第一dìyī次cì吃chī到dào这么zhèyāo可怕kěpà的de牛肉面niúròumiàn

✔️ You’re not the first person to say that.

你nǐ不是búshì第一dìyī個ge這麼zhème說shuō的de人rén你nǐ不是búshì第一dìyī个ge这么zhèyāo说shuō的de人rén