Penultimate means not the last, but the one immediately before the last. The penultimate chapter is the second-to-last chapter. The penultimate day of the month is the day before the last day. Teachers of poetry and of languages also use it for sound: the penultimate syllable is the one before the last syllable in a word.

Penultimate means not the last, but the one immediately before the lastPenultimate的意思不是最後一個，而是緊接在最後一個之前的那一個。The penultimate chapter is the second-to-last chapterThe penultimate chapter是倒數第二章。The penultimate day of the month is the day before the last dayThe penultimate day of the month是這個月倒數第二天。Teachers of poetry and of languages also use it for sound教詩和教語言的老師也會用它來講發音：the penultimate syllable is the one before the last syllable in a wordthe penultimate syllable是一個字裡倒數第二個音節。

It is a slightly bookish word. Many people just say second to last, and that is perfectly good English.

It is a slightly bookish word它是個稍微書面一點的字。Many people just say second to last很多人就直接說second to last，and that is perfectly good English這也是完全正確的英文。

Though actually, some speakers (including adults) hear ultimate and think penultimate means “almost the greatest” or “the next-best thing.” It does not. It is about place in a line, not about how good something is.

Though actually, some speakers (including adults) hear ultimate and think penultimate means 'almost the greatest' or 'the next-best thing.'不過，有些人（包括大人）聽到裡面有ultimate，就以為penultimate的意思是「幾乎是最棒的」或「次好的東西」。It does not其實不是這樣。It is about place in a line它講的是排在隊伍裡的位置，not about how good something is不是講一個東西有多好。

You can also meet it as a noun in very careful prose — “the penultimate” meaning that second-to-last item — but the adjective is the use students need.

You can also meet it as a noun in very careful prose在非常講究的文章裡，你也可能遇到它當名詞用——'the penultimate' meaning that second-to-last item「the penultimate」指的就是那個倒數第二的東西——but the adjective is the use students need但學生需要的用法是形容詞。