Back to dictionary
JLPT N28画 · 8 strokesradical 立grade 3freq #1500

number (prefix), rank, order

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ダイ
  • テイ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

Mnemonic

A proud army stands (立) in rank (第) and order, with each soldier numbered (一) for discipline.

About this kanji

The kanji 「第」 primarily indicates order or rank, functioning as a prefix to number things sequentially. It doesn't have native Japanese readings, but it can be used in various compound words. For example, 第一 (だいいち) means 'first', 第二 (だいに) means 'second', and 第三 (だいさん) means 'third'. These compounds are helpful when organizing events, classes, or levels of something in a ranking system. It's important to remember that 「第」 always comes before a numeral to indicate its position, making it a key kanji for discussing sequences.

Built from

Example sentences

  • これは第十回の大会です。

    This is the tenth tournament.

Meanings across languages

English
number (prefix), rank, order
Tiếng Việt
số (tiền tố), hạng, thứ tự
日本語
番号, 順位, 順番
한국어
번호(접두사), 순위, 차례
中文
数字(前缀), 等级, 顺序
id
nomor (awalan), peringkat, urutan
th
หมายเลข (คำหน้า), อันดับ, ลำดับ
es
número (prefijo), rango, orden
fr
numéro (préfixe), rang, ordre
de
Nummer (Präfix), Rang, Ordnung
pt
número (prefixo), rank, ordem

Common compounds

  • 第一だいいちfirst, number one
  • 第二だいにsecond
  • 第三だいさんthird
  • 順位じゅんいorder, rank

Want to actually learn this kanji?

The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.