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次男 (じなん, jinan) Japanese meaning: second son | Kotomora

次じ男なん

じ

な

ん

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

Refers to the second-born son in a family. Used in formal and informal contexts, often when discussing family composition or birth order.

彼かれは次じ男なんで、兄あにと妹いもうとがいます。

He is the second son and has an older brother and a younger sister.

次じ男なんが生うまれたとき、家か族ぞくはとても喜よろこんだ。

When the second son was born, the family was overjoyed.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の次じ男なんsomeone's second son
彼かれは田た中なかさんの次じ男なんです。
He is Mr. Tanaka's second son.
次じ男なんとして〈動どう詞し〉to do something in one's capacity as the second son
彼かれは次じ男なんとして家か業ぎょうを手伝てつだっている。
As the second son, he helps out with the family business.

Kanji

次next, order, sequence
男male
二two, two radical (no. 7)

Related words

三さん男なんN3
三男 refers to the third-born son, one rank below 次男 (second son), so they name adjacent but distinct birth-order positions.

Opposites

長ちょう男なんN3
長男 is the eldest son, while 次男 is specifically the second-born son, so the two terms mark opposite ends of male birth order.

Don't confuse with

次じ女じょN3
次女 means 'second daughter' and 次男 means 'second son'; both share 次 for birth order but differ only in the child's gender, which learners often mix up.
三さん男なんN3
次男 means the second son, while 三男 means the third son, and learners often confuse the two similarly-formed birth-order terms.

Word family

次じ男なん坊ぼう
second son

Written forms

次じ男なんUsage85%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common way to write 'second son'.
二じ男なんUsage15%
Less common variant; also read じなん, but 次男 is preferred.

Etymology

Compound of 次 (ji, 'next') and 男 (nan, 'male, son'). The reading じなん is a regular on'yomi combination.