Japanese word

肉親

Pronunciation

Romajinikushin

Meaning

  • nounblood relative

Example

彼は私の肉親です。kare wa watashi no niku shin de su

He is my blood relative.

Illustration for 肉親 (blood relative)

More examples

離れて暮らす肉親とも、定期的に連絡を取っています。hana re te ku ra su niku shin to mo tei ki teki ni ren raku o to tte i ma su

I also stay in regular contact with blood relatives who live far away.

Core concept

Points to a close family relationship based on biological descent.

Common phrases

  • 肉親の支えniku shin no sasa e

    support from a blood relative

  • 肉親を頼るniku shin o tayo ru

    rely on a blood relative

  • 肉親と暮らすniku shin to ku ra su

    live with a blood relative

Similar words

家族kazoku: People who belong to the same family, including those related by marriage or adoption.
親族shinzoku: A person related by blood or marriage, including close and distant relations.
血縁者ketsuensha: A person connected to another through a biological family line.

Definition in Japanese

生まれつき血のつながりがある家族や親族。u ma re tsu ki chi no tsu na ga ri ga a ru ka zoku ya shin zoku

Word origin

肉親 (nikushin) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 肉 (niku, "flesh") and 親 (shin, "parent or close relation"), with the flesh-based image indicating a blood relationship.

Usage tips

  • Japanese writing often uses 肉親 (nikushin) in the phrase 肉親の情 (nikushin no jō), which gives the word a more formal and solemn tone than the everyday term 家族 (kazoku).

Opposites

Word lists with this word