第
first, second, third … · Building 5, Room 305, bus No. 300
Structure
第 + number (+ measure word) · number + 号楼／房间／路
What it means
第 + a number makes an order word: 第一 first, 第二 second, 第三站 the third stop. Building, room and bus numbers are names, so they take no 第.
How it is built
第 + number (+ measure word + noun): 我们在第三站下车 (We get off at the third stop). For names: number + 号楼／房间／路: 5号楼, 305房间, 300路.
When to use it
Use 第 for “the first, the second…” in a row: 第一次 first time, 第二个路口 second junction. Read room numbers digit by digit, like phone numbers (p-8): 305 is sān líng wǔ.
Watch out
After 第 use 二, not 两 (p-4): ✗ 第两个路口 ✓ 第二个路口. No 第 for a building or bus: ✗ 第5号楼 ✓ 5号楼.
Examples
这是我第一次坐北京的地铁。
This is my first time on the Beijing metro.
我们在第三站下车。
We get off at the third stop.
王明有时候坐300路公交车上班。
Wang Ming sometimes takes the No. 300 bus to work.
经理在305房间。
The manager is in Room 305.
Learn this in HSK 2 · Lesson 2: 坐地铁上班 (By metro)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
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