oldest child
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 oldest child
Refers to the oldest child in a family, regardless of whether that child is male or female.
oldest child
The child who is the oldest among a person's children, without specifying gender.
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ลูกคนโตของฉันเรียนมหาวิทยาลัยแล้ว lûuk khon too khɔ̌ɔŋ chǎn rian máhǎawíttháyaalay lɛ́ɛw My oldest child is already in college. ลูกคนโตของฉันเรียนมหาวิทยาลัยแล้ว details
Learning notes
Explanation
The expression is formed from ลูก “child,” คน, the classifier for people, and โต “big” or “grown.” Here, โต indicates that the child is older than the other children; it does not describe physical size. The expression is gender-neutral. To specify gender, use ลูกชายคนโต for “oldest son” and ลูกสาวคนโต for “oldest daughter.” A useful contrasting expression is ลูกคนเล็ก, meaning “youngest child.”
Usage
Commonly used when introducing family members, describing one's place among siblings, or discussing a child's education, work, or marriage. It is a neutral, everyday expression suitable for a wide range of situations.
Caution
The expression does not specify gender, so it should not automatically be understood as “oldest son” or “oldest daughter.” Also, โต refers to relative age here, not physical size.