mei1 ji2屘二
Jyutpingmei1 ji2
Yalemēi yí
Definition
Second to last; penultimate.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
This term is specifically used to describe birth order within a family. It functions as a noun referring to the person who holds that position, rather than as a general adjective for any sequence. It is most commonly heard in casual conversation when discussing siblings.
Examples
He is the second youngest in the family, with one older brother above him.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general ordinal numbers like 第二，as it is strictly reserved for family hierarchy. It cannot be used to describe the second to last item in a non-human list, such as the second to last station on a train line.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
