A2 Intermediate Quantities & Measures

How to Say “First, Second, Third” with 第 (dì)

Chinese ordinals are wonderfully regular: just put 第 (dì) in front of the number. 第一 (“first”), 第二 (“second”), 第十 (“tenth”). With a thing, add the measure word as usual: 第一个人 (“the first person”), 第三本书. No irregular “-st / -nd / -rd” to memorise.

Why this trips learners up

Here’s a piece of Chinese that’s actually easier than English. To make an ordinal — “first,” “second,” “seventeenth” — you don’t learn special forms like English “-st / -nd / -rd / -th.” You just stick 第 (dì) in front of the plain number: 第 + Number. 第一 = “first,” 第二 = “second,” 第三 = “third,” all the way up — 第一百 = “hundredth.” One prefix, zero exceptions.

To talk about the first/second/third thing, just add the measure word and noun, exactly as you would when counting: 第 + Number + Measure Word + Noun. 第一个人 (“the first person”), 我读的第三本书 (“the third book I read”), 他得了第二名 (“he got second place”). And 第 + number can stand on its own when the thing is obvious: 我们队得了第一 (“our team came first”).

Two things to keep straight. Position numbers use 二, never 两 — it’s 第二个, 第二名, never 第两个 (两 is only for counting quantities). And the self-measure words — 天, 年, 周, 次 — take 第 directly, with no 个: 第一天 (“the first day”), 第一次 (“the first time”), 第一周 — the same words that skip 个 with 每 and 半.

One small exception worth knowing: floors of a building skip 第 entirely. “The fifth floor” is just 五楼 (or 五层), not 第五楼 — the number attaches straight to 楼/层.

The structure

第 dì NumberMeasure wordObject

Colour key

Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.

Pattern Subject Verb Object Time Adverb Function word Adjective Measure word Number

Examples in context

Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.

Tap a word to see its grammatical role.

zhè 这 Subject shì 是 Verb wǒ de 我的 Subject dì 第 Pattern yī 一 Number gè 个 Measure word háizi 孩子 Object

This is my first child (第 + Number + 个 + noun).

zhè 这 Subject shì 是 Verb wǒ 我 Subject dì 第 Pattern yī 一 Number cì 次 Measure word zuò 坐 Verb fēijī 飞机 Object

This is my first time on a plane (第一次 — 次 takes no 个).

tā 他 Subject dé 得 Verb le 了 Function word dì 第 Pattern èr 二 Number míng 名 Measure word

He got second place (第二名 — position “two” is 二, not 两).

wǒmen duì 我们队 Subject bǐsài 比赛 Time dé 得 Verb le 了 Function word dì 第 Pattern yī 一 Number

Our team came first in the match (bare 第一, no measure word).

shàngbān de 上班的 Time dì 第 Pattern yī 一 Number tiān 天 Measure word wǒ 我 Subject hěn jǐnzhāng 很紧张 Adjective

On my first day of work I was nervous (第一天 — no 个).

zhè 这 Subject shì 是 Verb wǒ dú de 我读的 Subject dì 第 Pattern sān 三 Number běn 本 Measure word zhōngwén shū 中文书 Object

This is the third Chinese book I’ve read (第三本 — the measure word for books).

wǒ de bàngōngshì 我的办公室 Subject zài 在 Verb wǔ 五 Number lóu 楼 Measure word

My office is on the fifth floor (五楼 — floors skip 第 entirely!).

lái běijīng de 来北京的 Time dì 第 Pattern yī 一 Number zhōu 周 Measure word wǒ 我 Subject jiù 就 Adverb àishàng 爱上 Verb le 了 Function word zhège chéngshì 这个城市 Object

In my first week in Beijing, I fell in love with the city (第一周).

Common mistakes

Avoid: 这是我三次来北京。 zhè shì wǒ sān cì lái běijīng.

Say this: 这是我第三次来北京。 zhè shì wǒ dì sān cì lái běijīng.

Why it happens: Without 第, a number is just a count, not a position. 三次来北京 = “came to Beijing three times”; “the third time” needs the prefix — 第三次. 第 turns a quantity into a rank.

Avoid: 他是我的第两个老师。 tā shì wǒ de dì liǎng gè lǎoshī.

Say this: 他是我的第二个老师。 tā shì wǒ de dì èr gè lǎoshī.

Why it happens: Ordinals are positions, so “two” is 二, never 两: 第二个, 第二名 — not 第两个. (两 is only for counting quantities, like 两个.)

Avoid: 这是我第一个次来。 zhè shì wǒ dì yī gè cì lái.

Say this: 这是我第一次来。 zhè shì wǒ dì yī cì lái.

Why it happens: 次 / 天 / 年 / 周 are already measure words, so 第 attaches directly — 第一次, 第一天 — never 第一个次 / 第一个天. (The same self-measure words skip 个 with 每天 and 半天.)

Compare & contrast

第 + Number — a position (ordinal)	Number alone — a count (quantity)	The difference
第三次dì sān cì	三次sān cì	第三次 = “the third time” (a position in a sequence). 三次 = “three times” (a count). The 第 is the whole difference.
第一个dì yī gè	一个yí gè	第一个 = “the first one”; 一个 = “one / a.” Add 第 and the number becomes a rank instead of an amount.

Rule of thumb第 turns a number from a COUNT into a POSITION: 三次 (“three times”) → 第三次 (“the third time”), 一个 (“one / a”) → 第一个 (“the first one”). Add the measure word as usual (第三个人), and the self-measure words skip 个 (第一天, 第一次). Position numbers use 二, not 两 (第二).

Try it yourself

Say “He’s my first friend.” — 第 + number + measure word + noun.

Related patterns

Quick reference card

How to Say “First, Second, Third” with 第 (dì) grammar.merrymandarin.com

A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.

Structure

第 + Number + Measure word + Object

Example

这是我的第一个孩子

This is my first child (第 + Number + 个 + noun).

Watch out

✗ 这是我三次来北京。 → ✓ 这是我第三次来北京。