The Chinese character “丁” is rich with diverse meanings, each unique to its context. Let’s delve into its various interpretations:
Mandarin (Pinyin): dīng
Cantonese (Yale Romanization): dīng
- Fourth of the Heavenly Stems: “丁” is the fourth character in the traditional Chinese system of Heavenly Stems.
- Fourth in Order or Inferior Grade: It signifies something that is fourth in sequence or of a lower grade, such as 「丁班」 (Class D) and 「丁等」 (Grade D).
- Male: “丁” can refer to a male, as seen in 「壯丁」 (able-bodied man) and 「男丁」 (male member).
- Population: This usage relates to population, like in 「添丁」 (to add a member to the family) and 「人丁單薄」 (sparse population).
- Servant or Laborer: It can also denote a servant or someone engaged in labor, such as 「園丁」 (gardener) and 「家丁」 (house servant).
- Small Cubes: “丁” is used to describe small, square pieces of food, like 「雞丁」 (diced chicken) and 「肉丁」 (diced meat).
- Tiny Amount: Lastly, it can mean a very small amount, as in 「一丁點兒病痛都沒了。」 (not even a tiny bit of pain left).
