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Stephenlearner Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary
Do you use "brother" or "sister" in your home?
Hi,
Can I ask a question with respect to the American culture?
Let's suppose that a family has five kids.
Do they address each other with their names or with "brother" and "sister"?
We say "my first brother", "my second brother", "my third sister", etc. in our culture.
If parents want to mention other kids when they are talking with one child, do they address them with names?
For example, does Daddy say, "John, did you strike Sarah with a rod and hurt her?"
We say, "John, did you strike your second sister with a rod and hurt her (if Sarah is the second among the siblings)? "
Thanks for your help!
Can I ask a question with respect to the American culture?
Let's suppose that a family has five kids.
Do they address each other with their names or with "brother" and "sister"?
We say "my first brother", "my second brother", "my third sister", etc. in our culture.
If parents want to mention other kids when they are talking with one child, do they address them with names?
For example, does Daddy say, "John, did you strike Sarah with a rod and hurt her?"
We say, "John, did you strike your second sister with a rod and hurt her (if Sarah is the second among the siblings)? "
Thanks for your help!
Top answer
S. you typically would use a child's or sibling's first name. " But you never refer to birth order such as first, second, or third.
- S.
- you typically would use a child's or sibling's first name.
- " But you never refer to birth order such as first, second, or third.
- You might hear "your older brother" or "your little/younger sister," but nothing denoting actual sequence.
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4 Answers
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In the U.S. you typically would use a child's or sibling's first name. Of course each family is different, but in the example you gave, you would use "John" and "Sarah." If John only had one sister, you might hear "John, did you strike your sister?" But you never refer to birth order such as first, second, or third. You might hear "your older brother" or "your little/younger sister," but not
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OK. Thanks very much.
My last question: does "big brother" have bad connotation?
My last question: does "big brother" have bad connotation?
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"Big brother" can be an expression used to refer to a watchful eye, a police-state, or an imposing government; so yes, it can have a bad connotation. If the context is clear that you are, in fact, refering to someone's older sibling, then it is fine. I'd say "older brother" just to be clear.
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