JLPT · Level 61
45 words
Japanese word
末っ子
Pronunciation
Romajisuekko
Meaning
- nounyoungest child
Example
私は三人きょうだいの末っ子です。watashi wa san nin kyō da i no sue kko de su
I am the youngest of three siblings.
More examples
母は、末っ子の私をいつも心配しています。haha wa sue kko no watashi o i tsu mo shin pai shi te i ma su
My mother is always worried about me, her youngest child.
Core concept
It views siblings as a birth-order line and places this child at its far end as the youngest.
Common phrases
家族の末っ子ka zoku no sue kko
youngest child in the family
Similar words
末子basshi: A formal term for the youngest child in a family.
Definition in Japanese
同じ親から生まれたきょうだいの中で、最も後に生まれた子。ona ji oya ka ra u ma re ta kyō da i no naka de motto mo ato ni u ma re ta ko
Word origin
The native Japanese compound 末っ子 (suekko) combines 末 (sue, "end") with 子 (ko, "child"), giving the sense of the child born last among the siblings.
Usage tips
- A speaker can call a grown person 末っ子 (suekko) because the term records sibling order, not childhood.
Opposites
- 長子chōshieldest childnoun