Chunn Posted September 29, 2005 at 09:46 PM Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 at 09:46 PM Suppose that I have brothers and sisters like this, 1st big brother, 2nd elder sister, 3rd elder brother, 4th me, 5th younger sister, 6th little brother. What should I address each of them? Are the followings correct? 1st 大哥，2nd 二姐，3rd 三哥，5th 五妹，6th 六弟 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraldc Posted September 29, 2005 at 10:06 PM Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 at 10:06 PM Well I don't think you need the numbers for the sisters, as you only have one older, and one younger sister, also no number for the little brother as you only have one of those, and then with the older brother he would be 大哥 and the other would just be 哥. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song You Shen Posted September 29, 2005 at 10:19 PM Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 at 10:19 PM I would assume it would be something like this: 1st 大哥 2nd 姐姐 3rd 二哥 5th 妹妹 6th 四弟 But I could be wrong... Youshen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elina Posted September 29, 2005 at 11:00 PM Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 at 11:00 PM 1st 大哥2nd 姐姐 3rd 二哥 5th 妹妹 6th 四弟 I think Youshen is almost right: 1st 大哥 2nd 姐姐 3rd 二哥 5th 妹妹 6th 弟弟 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Song You Shen Posted September 29, 2005 at 11:42 PM Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 at 11:42 PM I remember watching a few TV series' where there were 7 brothers, all brothers called each other by their birth order. So that's why i used 四弟. Youshen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted September 30, 2005 at 04:19 PM Report Share Posted September 30, 2005 at 04:19 PM But didi is the 6th child, I think that'd make him liudi. I read Ji'e de nv'er, in that book the main character numbered her siblings like that: dajie, erjie, sange, sijie etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elina Posted September 30, 2005 at 11:59 PM Report Share Posted September 30, 2005 at 11:59 PM I think: 1st 大哥(because there are two older brothers, so add number according the order of the two older brothers) 2nd 姐姐(because there is only one older sister, so no necessary to add number here) 3rd 二哥(because there are two older brothers, so add number according the order of the two older brothers) 5th 妹妹(because there is only one younger sister, so no necessary to add number here) 6th 弟弟(because there is only one younger brother, so no necessary to add number here) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibo77 Posted October 2, 2005 at 06:16 AM Report Share Posted October 2, 2005 at 06:16 AM Right, There are four orders: 哥gē brother, your senior 弟dì brother, your junior 姐jiě sister, your senior 妹mèi sister, your junior The first would would have the prefix 大dà, as in: 大哥dàgē eldest brother 大姐dàjiě eldest sister The last would have the prefix 小xiǎo, as in: 小弟xiǎodì youngest brother 小妹xiǎomèi youngest sister The ones in between would be ordered accordingly in the four orders: 二哥èrgē elder brother 三哥sāngē elder brother 四哥sìgē elder brother 五哥wǔgē elder brother ... 二弟èrdì younger brother 三弟sāndì younger brother 四弟sìdì younger brother 五弟wǔdì younger brother ... 二姐èrjiě elder sister 三姐sānjiě elder sister 四姐sìjiě elder sister 五姐wújiě elder sister ... 二妹èrmèi younger sister 三妹sānmèi younger sister 四妹sìmèi younger sister 五妹wǔmèi younger sister ... However, if one has only two brothers or sisters, then just call them: 哥哥gēge elder brother, big brother 弟弟dìdi younger brother, little brother 姐姐jiějie elder sister, big sister 妹妹mèimei younger sister, little sister You could have two elders, and one younger, brothers for example, then call them: 大哥dàgē eldest brother 二哥èrgē elder brother 弟弟dìdi younger brother, little brother (or you can call him 小弟xiǎodì youngest brother if you would like) I hope I didn't complicate things... -Shìbó Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunn Posted October 2, 2005 at 10:21 AM Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2005 at 10:21 AM shibo77, you had very systematic reply. Anyway, I still have question, The ones in between would be ordered accordingly in the four orders:二哥èrgē elder brother 三哥sāngē elder brother 四哥sìgē elder brother 五哥wǔgē elder brother ... 二弟èrdì younger brother 三弟sāndì younger brother 四弟sìdì younger brother 五弟wǔdì younger brother ... 二姐èrjiě elder sister 三姐sānjiě elder sister 四姐sìjiě elder sister 五姐wújiě elder sister ... 二妹èrmèi younger sister 三妹sānmèi younger sister 四妹sìmèi younger sister 五妹wǔmèi younger sister ... Are the numbers represent the order of the child from the whole children, or the order of the child from the same kind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zingaro Posted October 6, 2005 at 12:46 AM Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 at 12:46 AM Try this for more than you ever wanted to know about family relations and titles: http://www.kwanfamily.info/familytitles/familytitle.html I get rather lost in all this. Fortunately, my wife-to-be has only three sisters (one elder, two younger) and all are married. This simplifies things a bit for me, except for the "honorary" sisters and sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, aunts and uncles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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