丁
adult male; population; occupation title; 4th heavenly stem; surname
Meanings
7 senses · 14 examplesnoun
adult man; able-bodied male adult
formalFormal and literary usage referring to fully grown men.
All the able-bodied men in the village went to work.
All adult able-bodied men have gone out to work.
noun
population; family members
neutralUsed to count the number of people in a family or household.
A new family member was added to our household this year.
His family has a large and thriving population.
noun
person engaged in a specific occupation
neutralUsually combined with a job-related prefix to refer to a worker in that field.
The gardener is trimming flowers and plants in the garden.
The security guard is on duty at the community gate.
noun
4th of the 10 heavenly stems
literaryUsed in traditional Chinese chronological dating system, paired with earthly branches.
Ding is the 4th of the 10 heavenly stems in the sexagenary cycle.
The year Dingchou is the 14th cycle of the sexagenary dating system.
noun
surname Ding
neutralA common Chinese family name.
My neighbor is surnamed Ding, everyone calls him Master Ding.
noun
small diced vegetable/meat
neutralAlmost always used in the diminutive form 丁儿, refers to food cut into small cube shapes.
Please help me cut the cucumber into small cubes.
This dish is spicy diced chicken.
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Mom cut potatoes into small cubes to make curry rice.
verb
to encounter; to experience
archaicLiterary and formal usage, often used in fixed phrases like 丁忧.
In ancient China, officials had to resign and mourn for their deceased parents, a system called dingyou.
We live in a prosperous era and should strive to work hard.