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第十三 (dì shí sān) — thirteenth

Definition

Ordinal number meaning 'thirteenth'. Pattern: 第 + [number]; 第 goes in front of the numeral, never after.

numeral
thirteenth

Examples

  • 第十三。
    Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng dé le dì shí sān míng.
    He got thirteenth place in the competition.
  • 第十三。
    Zhè shì dì shí sān cì tí xǐng nǐ.
    This is the thirteenth time I've reminded you.
  • 第十三。
    Qǐng fān dào shū de dì shí sān yè.
    Please turn to page thirteen of the book.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

第dì
十三thirteen
十shíten三sānthree
联合Coordinate

第 gives the sense of sequence, while 十 and 三 give the number thirteen.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
弟
弟dì第dì
Same sound today

第 shows 𥫗, the bamboo strips once used for writing and sorting, with 弟 giving the sound.

Open 第 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Open 三 →
Appears in
Numbers & Counting

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