丁 (dīng) - The fourth heavenly stem & a man

丁Tone 1

dīng ｜ 2 strokes ｜ radical: 一

一七

丁 · dīng

The fourth heavenly stem;

a man;

a male adult;

a cube (of food);

a T-shaped object;

a surname.

The fourth heavenly stema mana male adult

Usage highlights

Single manDiced foodIron nailDing surnameHeavenly stemStrong man

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 女— female
  • 口— mouth (shape contrast)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is a single man (丁克).
  • Add diced carrots (胡萝卜丁).
  • The nail is made of iron (铁丁).
  • This is the Ding family (丁家).

Collocations

  • Single man(丁克)
  • Diced food(丁儿)
  • Iron nail(铁丁)
  • Ding surname(丁姓)
  • Heavenly stem(天丁)
  • Strong man(壮丁)

Idioms

  • Not even a single man remains(人丁稀少)
  • Thriving population(人丁兴旺)
  • Single and childless(丁克一族)
  • T-shaped intersection(丁字路口)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the ten Heavenly Stems (天干) in the traditional Chinese calendar system.
  • Used historically to refer to adult males and by extension to population counts.
  • Common surname ranking around 46th in China with historical figures like Ding Ruchang.

FAQ