eldest
eldest — 形容詞
1. being the person with the greatest age among three or more siblings or family me
最年長的
家庭中三人以上年紀最大的
being the person with the greatest age among three or more siblings or family members — for example, the child who was born first in a family with three children.
Andrei is the eldest of three brothers in his family.
Andrei 是家裡三兄弟中最年長的。
As the eldest sibling, Zuri often helps her younger sisters with homework.
作為最年長的手足，Zuri 常常幫妹妹們做功課。
eldest + noun phrase describing family role
The eldest daughter of the Wei family studies medicine at a university.
Wei 家的長女正在大學讀醫學。
Ramón's eldest brother drives a bus for the city transit system.
Ramón 的大哥在市區開公車。
In large families, the eldest child often helps look after the younger ones.
在大家庭中，最年長的孩子常常要幫忙照顧年幼的弟妹。
- oldest
broader term that works for people and things; 'oldest' is neutral while 'eldest' is specifically for family
- first-born
emphasises order of birth rather than age; slightly more formal or literary
- most senior
used for rank or position rather than family; often in professional contexts
- youngest
the direct opposite in birth order
文法句型
the + eldest + noun
possessive + eldest + noun
eldest + of + plural noun
用法筆記
Use 'eldest' only for family members (siblings, children). For non-family contexts — buildings, objects, or general groups of people — use 'oldest' instead. Also requires at least three people; for a family with only two children, use 'older' or 'elder'.
常見錯誤
eldest — 名詞
1. someone who ranks first by age among at least three people in a family or other
最年長者
三人以上中年紀最大的人
someone who ranks first by age among at least three people in a family or other group — for instance, the cousin at a reunion who has the highest age.
Of the five cousins, Madison is the eldest.
在五個表親當中，Madison 是年紀最大的。
the eldest as predicate complement after linking verb
Nora is the eldest among the volunteers who joined the project.
Nora 是參與這個計畫的志工當中最年長的一位。
eldest among + group noun
As the eldest of the group, Sivan was asked to lead the discussion.
作為團體中最年長者，Sivan 被要求帶領討論。
The eldest in the team was given the job of training the new members.
團隊中最年長者被指派負責訓練新進成員。
- oldest person
more general and can be used for things; 'eldest' is restricted to people
- senior member
focuses on rank or tenure rather than age alone
文法句型
the + eldest
the + eldest + among/of + group
用法筆記
Always used with 'the' or a possessive when functioning as a noun ('the eldest', 'my eldest'). This sense can refer to any group of three or more people, not just a family.
常見錯誤
2. the first-born among the children of a particular set of parents, and therefore
長子；長女
家庭中年紀最大的孩子
the first-born among the children of a particular set of parents, and therefore older than every other child in that household — for example, a big brother who looks after his younger sisters and brothers.
Emre is the eldest, so he helps his parents care for his younger siblings.
Emre 是長子，所以他會幫父母照顧弟弟妹妹。
the eldest as noun + reason clause with family responsibility
My eldest just started her first year at a high school in Taipei.
我家老大剛在台北展開高中一年級的生活。
possessive determiner + eldest as noun
Élise, as the eldest, sets the dinner table each night while her siblings play.
Élise 是長女，每晚弟弟妹妹玩耍時由她負責擺好餐桌。
Linh, the eldest, wakes at six each morning to help her mother pack lunch boxes.
Linh 是長女，每天早上六點起床幫媽媽準備便當。
- first-born
more formal and literary; emphasises the order of birth
- oldest child
more general; 'oldest' can be used for objects while 'eldest' is family-specific
- youngest
the child born last in the family
文法句型
possessive + eldest
the + eldest
the + eldest + in + family
用法筆記
This sense narrows the reference to the family's first-born child. Parents commonly refer to their oldest child simply as 'my eldest' in everyday conversation.