shǒu
first (occasion, thing etc.)
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他今年夏天第一次去北京。
Tā jīnnián xiàtiān dìyī cì qù Běijīng.
He went to Beijing for the first time this summer.
这本书的作者是一位著名的作家。
Zhè běn shū de zuòzhě shì yī wèi zhùmíng de zuòjiā.
The author of this book is a famous writer.
这个项目的负责人是一位经验丰富的工程师。
Zhège xiàngmù de fùzé rén shì yī wèi jīngyàn fēngfù de gōngchéngshī.
The person in charge of this project is an experienced engineer.
他获得了比赛的第一名。
tā huòdéle bǐsài de dìyīmíng.
He won first place in the competition.
这本书是这个系列的第一本。
zhè běn shū shì zhège xìliè de dìyīběn.
This book is the first in the series.
他今年第一次去北京。
tā jīnnián dìyīcì qù běijīng.
He went to Beijing for the first time this year.
头 (tóu)
head
开始 (kāishǐ)
beginning
头 (tóu)
head
开始 (kāishǐ)
beginning
尾 (wěi)
tail
末 (mò)
end
尾 (wěi)
tail
末 (mò)
end
The Chinese character 首 (shǒu) is composed of two parts: the radical 頁 (yè) and the phonetic component 酉 (yǒu). The radical 頁, which means "head," indicates that 首 is related to the head or the top. The phonetic component 酉, which is pronounced "yǒu," provides the sound for 首.The character 首 has several meanings, including "head," "beginning," "first," and "important." In ancient Chinese, 首 was used to refer to the head of a person or an animal. It was also used to refer to the beginning of something, such as the beginning of a year or the beginning of a book. In modern Chinese, 首 is still used in these senses, but it is also used in other contexts, such as in the word 首相 (shǒuxiàng), which means "prime minister."The character 首 has a long history, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It was one of the most commonly used characters in ancient Chinese, and it continues to be an important character in modern Chinese.
