Definition

1. Noun phrase: - The firstborn child, the eldest child: Refers specifically to the first child born to parents, often carrying implications of birth order and sometimes associated with traditional family roles or responsibilities.

Usage Examples

• Noun phrase:
  • Ông ta có hai con, đứa đầu lòng là con gái. (He has two children, the firstborn/eldest is a daughter.)
  • Gia đình có ba con trai, đứa đầu lòng lên mười. (The family has three sons, the eldest is ten years old.)
  • Đứa con đầu lòng của họ rất thông minh. (Their firstborn child is very intelligent.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often appears in formal, literary, or traditional contexts. It can imply a sense of special status, duty, or expectation placed on the first child.
• It is used attributively, almost always modifying a noun like (child) or (the child). It is rarely used as a standalone noun.

Variants and Related Words

• Con cả / Con trưởng: These are more common, direct synonyms for "eldest child" or "firstborn." is neutral, while can have a more formal or traditional nuance.
• Con một: Only child. (This is distinct, referring to a family with a single child, not just the first.)
• Con thứ: Refers to a younger child, indicating birth order (e.g., - the second child).

Synonyms

• Con cả: Eldest child.
• Con trưởng: Firstborn child (often with a formal/traditional tone).
• Đứa con đầu tiên: The first child (a more literal, descriptive phrase).

Notes on Meaning

• Cultural Context: In Vietnamese culture, the may historically be associated with specific familial duties or expectations, such as helping care for younger siblings or carrying on family traditions. The term itself evokes this cultural nuance more than a simple phrase like .
• Specificity: It refers strictly to the first child by birth order. It is not used for the "oldest" child in a group that is not siblings (e.g., in a classroom).

1. Elder, eldest (child)
   • Ông ta có hai con, đứa đầu lòng là con gái
     He has got two children, the elder of whom is a girl
   • Gia đình có ba con trai, đứa đầu lòng lên mười
     There are three boys in that family, the eldest of whom is ten