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gloria_taipei
Joined: 17 Feb 2006 Posts: 56
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Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:18 am Post subject: brothers and sisters |
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In English, there are older brother, oldest brother, younger brother, and youngest brother.
In Chinese society, we call our brothers and sisters by the ranking, such as first, second, third...etc. Can we say "first brother", "second sister"...etc.? First means the oldest and second means the one after the oldest. |
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Mister Micawber

Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 774 Location: Yokohama
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Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:29 am Post subject: |
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I would stick with older, younger, etc.
. _________________ "I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's |
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CP
Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 2875 Location: California
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Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 6:46 am Post subject: |
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You can also call the oldest child "the eldest child" and any sibling older than you "my elder brother / sister." Don't call him or her "elderly," though, as that is just another word for "old."
Then, of course, there will be the youngest child, also known as "the baby of the family" in some circles.
In old Charlie Chan movies, Charlie Chan, Chinese detective, is often assisted by a son or two, whom he calls Number One Son or Number Two Son, according to their birth order. Hollywood! _________________ You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb |
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