What does 親 mean in Japanese?
親 has two connected meanings: parent, and close or intimate. The kun’yomi おや (oya) is the everyday word for a parent, and 両親 (ryoushin) means both parents.
The on’yomi シン carries the closeness sense: 親切 (shinsetsu, kind), 親友 (shinyuu, close friend), 親しい (shitashii, close, familiar). The link is natural: the people closest to you are your parents. The character contains 見 (to see) on the right, and it is often explained as the one who watches over you.
Reading
On’yomi: シン (shin)
Kun’yomi: おや (oya), した-しい (shita-shii), した-しむ (shita-shimu)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 親 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | parent, intimate |
| Stroke Count | 16 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
おや (oya) is a parent in general; 両親 (ryoushin) specifies both parents together. Attach a parent word to make 父親 (chichioya, father) and 母親 (hahaoya, mother), slightly more objective than お父さん / お母さん. 親子 (oyako) is the parent-child pair, used for everything from relationships to the dish 親子丼 (chicken and egg over rice). The シン words draw on closeness: 親切 (shinsetsu) is kindness, 親しい (shitashii) means close or familiar, and 親友 (shinyuu) is a close friend.
Common Words
- 親（おや / oya） — parent
- 両親（りょうしん / ryoushin） — both parents
- 親切（しんせつ / shinsetsu） — kind, kindness
- 親子（おやこ / oyako） — parent and child
- 父親（ちちおや / chichioya） — father
- 親友（しんゆう / shinyuu） — close friend, best friend
Example Sentences
-
私の両親は東京に住んでいます。
わたしのりょうしんはとうきょうにすんでいます。 / Watashi no ryoushin wa Toukyou ni sunde imasu.
My parents live in Tokyo.
-
駅で親切な人が道を教えてくれました。
えきでしんせつなひとがみちをおしえてくれました。 / Eki de shinsetsu na hito ga michi o oshiete kuremashita.
A kind person showed me the way at the station.
-
公園で親子が遊んでいます。
こうえんでおやこがあそんでいます。 / Kouen de oyako ga asonde imasu.
A parent and child are playing in the park.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Split the kanji into its two senses. Family: 親 (oya), 両親 (both parents), 父親 / 母親. Closeness: 親切 (kind), 親しい (close), 親友 (best friend). Remembering that your closest people are your parents ties the two senses together.
親切 (shinsetsu) is a high-frequency adjective: 親切な人 (a kind person), 親切にする (to be kind). Do not confuse it with 心配 (worry) or 親戚 (relatives); the reading しんせつ and the meaning ‘kind’ are the ones to lock in.
親子丼 (oyakodon) is a memorable culture word: chicken and egg over rice, literally the parent-and-child bowl, because chicken (parent) and egg (child) share the dish. It is a fun way to remember 親子 (oyako).
Summary
親 means parent (おや, 両親, 親子) and also close or intimate (親切 kind, 親しい close, 親友 best friend). The two senses connect through the idea that parents are the closest people to you.