第四 (dì sì) — fourth | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

numeral

fourth

Examples

第四。
Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng huò dé le dì sì míng.
He won fourth place in the competition.
第四。
Zhè běn shū de dì sì zhāng xiě dé zuì hǎo.
The fourth chapter of this book is best written.
第四。
Wǒ men shì dì sì gè dào de kè rén.
We were the fourth guest to arrive.

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

第 turns the number 四 four into the fourth.

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

Appears in

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