# pangkailan ka? (sa magkakapatid)



## libra08

Hi everyone. 
John: How many brothers do you have?
Mary: I have 3 brothers.
John: _*Pang ilan ka?*_
In the dialogue above how should I express the question in natural English?
John wants to know if Mary is the second or the youngest, etc.


----------



## DotterKat

This has been discussed many times before both here (see pang-ilan) and in other forums (see here). There is no truly colloquial-sounding answer to this and the ones that would elicit an ordinal number, which essentially is what your question is about, will sound clinical (_"What is your sibling ordinal position?"_).

However, there is an easy solution to the particular context you have provided. 


libra08 said:


> John: How many brothers do you have?
> Mary: I have 3 brothers.
> John: _*Are you the youngest?*_



If Mary is not the youngest, then she will say so by indicating her ordinal position or by saying that she is the oldest (No, I'm the oldest / No, I'm the second child / No, I'm the third child).
This way you will elicit the response you seek and perhaps flatter her at the same time, by implying that she appears young. Of course, you could also say "Are you the oldest?" if you simply wish to be mean.


----------



## libra08

Thank you... DotterKat


----------



## UncleDako

If  John knows that Mary is not the eldest he may also ask her:
Are you the middle child or the youngest (in your family?)   You can leave out the "in your family"


----------

