両親（りょうしん、ryoushin）
- parents

The Japanese word 両親 (りょうしん) directly translates to "parents" in English. It is a collective term referring to both your mother and father. This term emphasizes the pair of parental figures rather than addressing them individually.

⚫︎私の両親 Translation: My parents ⚫︎両親は元気ですか？ Translation: Are your parents doing well? ⚫︎私は両親に会いたいです。 Translation: I miss my parents.

⚫︎You use 両親 when you want to refer to both your mother and father at the same time. ⚫︎It's common to use this term when speaking to others about your parents, asking about someone else's parents, or discussing general family matters. ⚫︎It is a polite and respectful term, suitable for most situations.

⚫︎The word is primarily written in kanji 両親, which combines the characters for "both" (両) and "parents" (親). ⚫︎The hiragana reading is りょうしん. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana.

⚫︎While not direct synonyms, the following words relate to family: ⚫︎父母 (ふぼ) - Mother and father (more formal and literary) ⚫︎親 (おや) - Parent (singular; can also refer to a single parent)

⚫︎There is no direct antonym for 両親 as it is a collective term. However, it implicitly contrasts with: ⚫︎父 (ちち) - Father ⚫︎母 (はは) - Mother

私の両親はとても優しくて、いつも私を応援してくれます。 ・Translation: My parents are very kind, and they always support me. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the speaker's parents and highlights their supportive nature.

あなたは両親に感謝していますか？ ・Translation: Are you grateful to your parents? ・Explanation: This sentence asks about the listener's feelings of gratitude towards their parents.

⚫︎The kanji 両 (りょう) means "both" or "two." ⚫︎The kanji 親 (しん or おや) means "parent" or "relative." ⚫︎Therefore, 両親 literally means "both parents," reflecting its collective meaning.