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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing ordinal position 'second' with 第二 (dì èr)

    Numbers & Quantity
    Sequence & Order

    Structure

    第二 + Adjective/Noun

    Explanation

    第二 (dì èr) means "second" and is formed by placing the ordinal prefix 第 before the number 二. This pattern applies to all ordinal numbers in Chinese. For example, 第二名 means "second place" and 第二高 means "the second highest."

    Examples

    • 他是我们班跑得第二快的人。

      tā shì wǒmen bān pǎo de dì èr kuài de rén.

      He is the second fastest runner in our class.

    • 这是她第二次来中国,上一次是三年前。

      zhè shì tā dì èr cì lái zhōngguó, shàng yī cì shì sān nián qián.

      This is her second time visiting China; the last time was three years ago.

    • 中国是世界第二大经济体。

      zhōngguó shì shìjiè dì èr dà jīngjìtǐ.

      China is the world's second largest economy.

    • 他是我们班跑得第二快的人。

      tā shì wǒmen bān pǎo de dì èr kuài de rén.

      He is the second fastest runner in our class.

    • 这是她第二次来中国,上一次是三年前。

      zhè shì tā dì èr cì lái zhōngguó, shàng yī cì shì sān nián qián.

      This is her second time coming to China; the last time was three years ago.

    • 中国是世界第二大经济体。

      zhōngguó shì shìjiè dì èr dà jīngjìtǐ.

      China is the world's second largest economy.

    Expressing ordinal position 'second' with 第二 (dì èr) | Chinese Grammar