expression, godan verb (-ru)
be related by blood
Used to express that someone is connected by blood ties, often in contexts of family or lineage.
彼は私と縁につながっている。
He is related to me by blood.
その家系は古くから縁につながっている。
That family line has been connected by blood since ancient times.
Standard kanji spelling for this expression.
Alternate kanji spelling using 繋がる; less common but acceptable.
血縁 is a noun meaning 'blood relation', while 縁につながる is a verb phrase meaning 'to be related by blood'.
Compound of 縁 (en, 'fate, tie, connection') + に + つながる (tsunagaru, 'to be connected'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase literally means 'to be connected by a bond' and has come to specifically refer to blood relations.