To say words like the first, the second, or the third in Chinese, just put 第 (dì, ordinal number marker) before the number!
| the first | 第一 (dìyī) |
|---|---|
| the second | 第二 (dìèr) |
| the third | 第三 (dìsān) |
| the tenth | 第十 (dìshí) |
他们是第一！
Tāmen shì dìyī!
They are the first!
这是你第二次来中国吗？
Zhè shì nǐ dìèr cì lái Zhōngguó ma?
Is this the second time you came to China?
To say that something is about to happen, place the verb between 快要 (kuàiyào, about to) and 了 (le, a change in a situation).
比赛快要开始了！
Bǐsài kuàiyào kāishǐ le!
The game is about to start!
快要下雨了！
Kuàiyào xià yǔ le!
It’s about to rain!
他们快要走了！
Tāmen kuàiyào zǒu le!
They are about to go!