I'd like to know whether the person is the first, second,third child of the family. Is it okay to ask this way, "What is your order in the family?"
Are there other sentences possible?
2006-12-10 00:18:49 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
I was from a family of six, and I usually got this when I was growing up: "Are the youngest or the oldest? Or the middle child?" Which totally excluded a couple... Don't sweat it. What you said is fine. If anyone talks offense, that person is a wimp.
2006-12-10 01:06:57 · answer #1 · answered by steviewag 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If I knew the person was one of three siblings, I'd probably just ask "Are you the oldest?" The person wouldn't just reply "no" but say "No, I'm the middle one" or "I'm the youngest" If you didn't know how many children there were, you'd just ask "How many of you are there in the family ?" To which almost always the person would reply "There are five of us, and I'm the second" (or whatever). Once you ask "how many" that person is going to anticipate your next question, which is "where are you placed?" so he would tell you before you needed to ask.
2006-12-10 08:42:09 · answer #2 · answered by sharmel 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What yu say is ok . In addition ask only if the person is only child in
family. Then that person would automatically tell his own family order story like if he/she is youngest/eldest person in their family.
2006-12-10 08:34:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its perfectly OK to ask it in the way you have, although it is not very good English and they may not understand what you mean.
The best way is either to ask "Where do you come in your family?" which sounds like rubbish, but most people will understand what you mean or, even better, ask "Do you have any brothers and sisters?" and if you don't get a full answer then ask "Are they older or younger than you?".
PS. DON'T USE THE WORD "SIBLINGS" !!!! Nobody in English uses this word unless they are very posh or taking the p*ss !
2006-12-10 08:22:37 · answer #4 · answered by the_lipsiot 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
So which number are you, are you the eldest, youngest or in-between?
2006-12-10 08:58:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"how many siblings do you have and where are you, like, were you born first, second, etc.?"
you could ask like that, and i was born last, the second of us.
2006-12-10 08:22:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
"Birth order" is the proper phrase to get the information you seek. Good luck. :-)
2006-12-10 08:22:22 · answer #7 · answered by mrvid2002 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
just say...where do u come in order of birth to your sibblings?
2006-12-10 08:21:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
if you asked "Are you the youngest?" they would probably tell you anyway what they are
2006-12-10 08:20:33 · answer #9 · answered by Chris K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
and what number child are you?
2006-12-10 08:22:52 · answer #10 · answered by cameron b 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋