Definition

Adjective: - Last-born, youngest (child): Used to describe the child who was born last in a family, the final child in the birth order.

Usage

• This term is used specifically to refer to the youngest child in a family. It is a descriptive term, often used with affection or to specify birth order.
• It is typically used as an adjective before the noun for 'child' (con) or can function as a noun phrase on its own (e.g., ).

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cô ấy là con rốt lòng trong gia đình có năm người con. (She is the youngest/last-born child in a family of five children.)
  • Người rốt lòng thường được chiều chuộng. (The last-born is often spoiled.)
  • Anh trai rốt lòng của tôi mới lên năm tuổi. (My youngest brother is only five years old.)

Advanced Usage / Nuances

• The term rốt lòng carries a nuance of being the final, completing member of the set of siblings. It implies there will be no more children after this one.
• It is more formal and literary than the common synonym út (youngest). Rốt lòng is often found in written Vietnamese, literature, or formal speech, while út is used in everyday conversation.
• The phrase con rốt lòng can sometimes imply a special sentimental value as the "baby" of the family.

Variants and Related Words

• Con út (n): The youngest child. (A more common, colloquial synonym).
• Con một (n): Only child. (A different concept, referring to a child with no siblings).
• Trưởng nam/trưởng nữ (n): First-born son/daughter. (The opposite in birth order).

Synonyms

• Con út: youngest child.
• Con cuối cùng: the last child.
• Em út: youngest sibling (when speaking from an older sibling's perspective).

Antonyms

• Con cả / Trưởng nam / Trưởng nữ: first-born child / eldest son / eldest daughter.
• Anh cả / Chị cả: eldest brother / eldest sister.

1. Last (child)