第 (dì) is a Chinese character meaning “prefix used before numbers to form ordinals (first, second…)”. It is written from ⺮ (bamboo radical (top form of 竹)) and 弟 (younger brother), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “ordinal prefix (-th)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
⺮ + 弟
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS ⿱⺮弟 (build-time IDS candidate), checked against hanzi-writer-data strokes 0-5 = ⺮, 6-10 = lower 弟 form
Memory aid
Bamboo slips (⺮) on top, younger brothers (弟) lined up below by age — one after another, in order. That is why 第 marks rank: 第一, 第二.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 第一dì yīfirst; number one第 = dì
- 第二dì èrsecond; number two第 = dì
Go deeper
All readings
ordinal prefix (-th)
prefix used before numbers to form ordinals (first, second…); order; rank
用在整数前面，表示次序，如第一、第二；也指次序、等级。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 第一dì yīfirst; number one第 = dì
- 第二dì èrsecond; number two第 = dì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 第 mean?
第 (dì) means prefix used before numbers to form ordinals (first, second…); order; rank.
How do you pronounce 第?
It is pronounced dì.
What parts is 第 made of?
⺮ (bamboo radical (top form of 竹)) and 弟 (younger brother), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS ⿱⺮弟 (build-time IDS candidate), checked against hanzi-writer-data strokes 0-5 = ⺮, 6-10 = lower 弟 form. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 第 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 第?
竹. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 第?
Common ones are 第一 and 第二. The reading of 第 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.