What is the Kanji for "Parent"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Parent", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Parent" is "親".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Shita" and "Oya".

Its onyomi reading is "Shin".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 3 parts:

The kanji "見" means "See" and can be read as "Ken" and "Mi". The kanji "立" means "Stand" and can be read as "Ritsu" and "Ta". And The kanji "木" means "Tree" and "Wood" and can be read as "Boku", "Ki", "Moku", and "Ko".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "親" mean in japanese?

"親" means "Parent".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

親: "Parent". The noun '親 (おや)' means 'parent'. This word refers to a person's mother or father, the individuals responsible for raising and caring for a child. It can be used to describe the relationship between a child and their parent(s), as well as to refer to parents in general. For example: My parents are coming to visit - (私の親が来て訪ねる). I respect my parents very much - (私は両親をとても尊敬している).

母親: "Mother". The Japanese noun '母親 (ははおや)' refers to one's biological mother or a maternal figure. It is used to describe a female parent or guardian who takes care of and nurtures their child(ren). This word carries strong connotations of love, protection, and the caretaking role of a mother. Example sentences: She is a kind mother - (彼女は優しい母親です). My mother always supports me - (私の母親は常に私をサポートしてくれます).

父親: "Father". The noun '父親 (ちちおや)' refers to one's biological father, or the male parent. This word carries a sense of respect and authority associated with the father figure. It can be used in formal contexts as well as informal family settings. For example: My father scolded me - (父親に叱られた). I respect my father - (父親を尊敬する).

親切: "Kindness". The adjectival noun '親切 (しんせつ)' refers to 'kindness', a warm, caring, and helpful disposition towards others. It describes the quality of being considerate, thoughtful, and willing to assist. For example: She showed great kindness by helping the elderly man - (彼女はその老人を助けて大変親切でした). Her kindness was appreciated by everyone - (彼女の親切さは皆に感謝されました).

不親切: "Unkind". The adjectival noun '不親切 (ふしんせつ)' means 'unkind'. It describes a lack of consideration or thoughtfulness towards others. This word can be used to criticize someone's behavior as being inconsiderate or lacking in kindness. For example: She was very unkind to the new employee - (彼女は新入社員に非常に不親切でした). It's important to be kind, not unkind - (親切でなく不親切であるのは重要ではありません).

両親: "Parents". The Japanese noun '両親 (りょうしん)' refers to one's biological mother and father. It is a formal way to refer to one's parents. This word is commonly used in formal contexts and in written Japanese. For example: My parents are coming to visit - (両親が訪ねてきます). I love my parents very much - (両親をとても愛しています).

親父: "Father". The Japanese noun '親父 (おやじ)' means 'father'. This term is an informal way of referring to one's own father or an older man. It can convey a sense of familiarity or closeness. For example: Let's go see my father - (親父に会いに行こう). My father told me to study hard - (親父は勉強するように言った).

親しい: "Close". The Japanese adjective '親しい (したしい)' means 'close'. It is used to describe a relationship or connection between people that is intimate, familiar, and comfortable. It can also be used to describe things that are easily accessible or available. For example: We have a close relationship - (私たちは親しい関係にある). I have a close friend - (私は親しい友人がいる).

親類: "Relative". The Japanese noun '親類 (しんるい)' means 'relative'. It refers to a person who is related to you by blood or marriage, such as a family member. It can be used to describe close relatives like parents, siblings, or children, as well as more distant relatives like aunts, uncles, or cousins. For example: My relative is visiting - (親類が来ます). I have many relatives - (私は親類が多い).

親しむ: "Get close to" or "Become familiar with". The Japanese verb '親しむ (したしむ)' means 'to get close to' or 'to become familiar with'. It expresses the act of developing a close, intimate, or friendly relationship with someone or something. This verb can be used to describe forming a bond with another person, as well as growing accustomed to a new environment or activity. For example: I've become close to my new neighbors - (新しい隣人に親しんでいる). I'm getting familiar with the city - (この街に親しんできている).

親指: "Thumb". The Japanese noun '親指 (おやゆび)' refers to the thumb, which is the shortest and thickest digit on the human hand. It is considered the most important finger and is often used for grasping and manipulating objects. For example: My thumb is sore - (私の親指が痛い). She hurt her thumb - (彼女は親指を傷つけた).

親しみ: "Fondness". The noun '親しみ (したしみ)' refers to a sense of warmth, familiarity, and closeness towards someone or something. It conveys feelings of endearment, attachment, and affection. For example: She has a fondness for her old hometown - (彼女はふるさとに親しみを感じている). The teacher's fondness for his students was evident in how he interacted with them - (先生は生徒たちに親しみを持っていることが明らかだった).

親子: "Parent-child". The Japanese noun '親子 (おやこ)' refers to the relationship between a parent and their child. It is a compound word consisting of '親' (oya) meaning 'parent' and '子' (ko) meaning 'child'. This term is used to describe the bond and connection between parents and their offspring. For example: The parent-child relationship is very important - (親子関係は非常に大切だ). The parent and child went shopping together - (親子で一緒に買い物に行った).

親戚: "Relative". The Japanese noun '親戚 (しんせき)' means 'relative'. It refers to a person who is related to you by blood, marriage or adoption. This can include immediate family members as well as more distant relations. It is commonly used to describe family connections and kinship. For example: My relatives are coming to visit - (親戚が来る to visit). I have many relatives in Japan - (日本に親戚が沢山いる).

親善: "Goodwill". The Japanese word '親善 (しんぜん)' means 'goodwill'. It refers to the friendly and cooperative relations between countries, organizations or individuals. This word is often used in the context of international relations, where countries or organizations aim to promote mutual understanding and cooperation. For example: The two countries signed a treaty of goodwill - (両国は親善条約に署名した). The company is trying to foster goodwill with the local community - (その企業は地域社会との親善を深めようとしている).

親族: "Relative". The noun '親族 (しんぞく)' refers to a person's relatives or family members. It can be used to describe immediate family members like parents, siblings, and children, as well as extended family like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This word emphasizes the close familial relationship between people. For example: My relatives are coming to visit - (私の親族が来る to 訪ねる). I am close with my relatives - (私は親族と仲がいい).

親友: "Best friend". The noun '親友 (しんゆう)' means 'best friend'. This word refers to an extremely close, intimate, and trusting friendship between two people. It implies a deeper level of connection and loyalty beyond a regular friendship. '親友' is often used to describe someone who you can completely confide in and rely on. For example: He is my best friend - (彼は私の親友です). They have been best friends since childhood - (彼らは子供の頃から親友だった).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "し" is read as "shi". The hiragana "た" is read as "ta". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "お" is read as "o". And The hiragana "や" is read as "ya".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.