小 and 第 as Word Prefixes
Use 第 to turn a number into an order word like “first” or “second”, and 小 to make a friendly name like 小王.
Patrón
第 + number (+ measure word) + noun; 小 + one-syllable surname
第 turns “how many” into “which one”: 两个 is two of them, 第二个 is the second one.
这是我第一次来北京。
When to use 小 and 第 as Word Prefixes
第 goes right before a number and turns it into an order word: 一 “one” becomes 第一 “first”, 二 becomes 第二 “second”. Put a measure word or a noun after it: 第一个人, 第二天, 第五课. Without 第 you count (两个 “two of them”); with 第 you put things in order (第二个 “the second one”). 小 is a different kind of prefix: before a one-syllable surname it makes a friendly name for someone your age or younger, such as 小王.
明天我们学第五课。
Tomorrow we’ll study Lesson 5.
小王，你好！
Hi, Wang! (a friendly name for a younger friend)
小李是我的同学。
Li is my classmate. (a friendly name for a younger classmate)
第二天他又来了。
He came again the next day.
Errores frecuentes
- Say 第二个, not 第两个: after 第 the number 2 is always 二.
- 两个苹果 means “two apples” and 第二个苹果 means “the second apple”; don’t add 第 when you mean an amount.
- Don’t call an older person or your own teacher 小王: 小 + surname is for people your age or younger. Students say 王老师.
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