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第十二 (dì shí èr) — twelfth

Definition

Ordinal number meaning 'twelfth' — formed by prefixing 第 to the number 十二 (twelve). Used for ordering in sequences (rows, students, times).

numeral
twelfth

Examples

  • 第十二。
    Zhè shì wǒ lái zhè lǐ de dì shí èr cì.
    This is the twelfth time I've come here.
  • 第十二。
    Tā zuò zài jiào shì de dì shí èr pái.
    He sits in the twelfth row of the classroom.
  • 第十二。
    dì shí èr Gè xué shēng zhàn qǐ lái huí dá le wèn tí.
    The twelfth student stood up and answered the question.

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dìordinal sense
十二
十shíten二èrtwo
联合Coordinate

第 gives the ordinal sense and 十二 gives twelve, so the word means twelfth.

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.

二 is drawn as two parallel strokes, where the number of strokes shows the amount.

Open 二 →
Appears in
Numbers & Counting

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