Definition
长 (zhǎng) as an adjective means 'elder, senior in age' or 'eldest' in a family ranking (e.g., 长子 'eldest son'). It is more formal and specific to birth order than 大 (dà), which is used colloquially before family titles (e.g., 大哥 'older brother'). Use 长 for official family positions; use 大 for everyday reference to an older sibling.
adjective
eldersenior in ageeldest (in a family ranking)
Easily confused
- 张zhāngsound-aliketo open up; to spread
- 章zhāngsound-alike(classifier) for chapters of a book, sections of a document, or clauses of a law
- 涨zhàngsound-aliketo swell, to distend
- 涨zhàngsound-aliketo swell, to expand in volume
- 胀zhàngsound-alike(verb) to swell
Examples
- 。Tā shì zhǎng zǐ.He is the eldest son.
- 。Tā shì wǒ de zhǎng xiōng.He is my elder brother.
- 。Wǒ yǒu yí wèi nián zhǎng de péngyou.I have an older friend.
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