親（おや、oya）
- parent

The Japanese word 親, pronounced おや (oya), primarily means "parent" or "parents." It refers to a person's mother or father, or both. It can also be used metaphorically to refer to someone who is a caregiver or has a parental role. The meaning extends beyond just biological parents to include adoptive parents and guardians. The word 親 can also be used in more general terms, such as "ancestor" or "origin," depending on the context. 親 itself is a single kanji character which carries a lot of semantic weight.

⚫︎ 両親 Translation: Both parents ⚫︎ 親としての責任 Translation: Responsibility as a parent ⚫︎ 親の愛 Translation: Parental love

⚫︎ You use 親 when talking about your own parents or someone else's parents. ⚫︎ It can also be used in a more general sense when discussing the relationship between parents and children. ⚫︎ When referring to a single parent, you would typically use 父 (chichi - father) or 母 (haha - mother). ⚫︎ 親 is a fundamental word, and its use is very common in everyday conversation.

⚫︎ The word 親 is typically written with the kanji 親. ⚫︎ The reading おや uses hiragana. ⚫︎ There is no variation in the okurigana when using 親 to mean parent.

⚫︎ 両親 (ryoushin) - Parents (both parents) ⚫︎ 父 (chichi) - Father ⚫︎ 母 (haha) - Mother ⚫︎ 親元 (oyamoto) - Parents' home, under the care of parents

⚫︎ 子 (ko) - Child ⚫︎ 子供 (kodomo) - Child, children

私親は子供を愛しています。 ・Translation: I love my children. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 親 to show the speaker's role as a parent.

彼女の親はとても優しいです。 ・Translation: Her parents are very kind. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the kindness of someone's parents.

The kanji 親 is composed of the radical 木 (ki) meaning "tree" or "wood," and the character 見 (ken) meaning "to see." The original meaning of 親may have related to something that grows like a tree and therefore refers to an origin or source, from which a child originates. The combination over time came to mean "parent."