両親
ryōshin[ɾʲo̞ːɕĩɴ]
The Japanese phrase for "mother and father" is 両親 (ryōshin).
両親 is used to refer to the two parents of a person.
What does it mean word for word?
The word consists of the kanji for "both" (両) and "parent" (親), literally meaning "both parents".
Which one should you use?
両親 is a concise noun meaning "parents". In contrast, the phrase お父さんとお母さん is more commonly used in casual conversation when specifically naming the two individuals as "father and mother".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
両親 is a standard, polite way to refer to one's own parents or the parents of others in a general sense.
How do you pronounce it?
ryōshin
Did you know?
- While 両親 is a general term, Japanese has a specific word, 親孝行, to describe the virtue of being a dutiful child to one's parents.
- The character 両 in 両親 means 'both' or 'two', but it is also the same character used in the word for 'pounds' (the currency), showing how many different meanings one kanji can hold.
- Japanese speakers often use the term 親 to describe a mentor or a 'parent' of a specific craft or school of thought, not just biological parents.
Examples in context
- 僕の両親はボストン出身です。My mother and father were both born in Boston.This sentence is useful for mentioning where your 両親 are from.Tatoeba #8002421 by Ninja, translation #8002381 by CK
- 僕の両親は二人ともボストン出身です。Both my mother and father were born in Boston.This sentence is useful for emphasizing that both individuals in your 両親 are from Boston.Tatoeba #8002420 by Ninja, translation #8002382 by CK
- 両親は今、どこにいますか？Ryōshin wa ima, doko ni imasu ka?Where are your parents now?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their upcoming holiday plans.
- 陽太 Yota結衣さんの両親は、旅行に行きますか？Yui-san no ryōshin wa, ryokō ni ikimasu ka?Are your parents going on a trip, Yui?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、両親は北海道へ行く予定です。Hai, ryōshin wa Hokkaido e iku yotei desu.Yes, my parents are planning to go to Hokkaido.
- 陽太 Yotaそれは楽しそうですね。Sore wa tanoshisō desu ne.That sounds like fun.
- 結衣 Yui陽太さんも、家族と一緒に旅行に行きますか？Yōta-san mo, kazoku to issho ni ryokō ni ikimasu ka?Are you also going on a trip with your family, Yota?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 両親, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
