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血縁 (ketsuen) Japanese meaning: blood relationship | Kotomora

血けつ縁えん

also: けちえん

け

つ

え

ん

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

blood relationship; consanguinity

Refers to the abstract tie of shared blood or genetic connection. Often used in legal, anthropological, or formal contexts.

血けつ縁えん関かん係けいにある者もの同どう士しの

結けっ

婚こん

は

法ほう

律りつ

で

禁きん

止し

さ

れ

て

いる

。

Marriage between people who are related by blood is prohibited by law.

彼かれとは血けつ縁えんはないが、本ほん当とうの兄きょう弟だいのように育そだった。

I have no blood relationship with him, but we grew up like real brothers.

2

Refers to a person who is related by blood, as opposed to a relative by marriage or adoption. Often used in the plural 血縁者.

彼かれは私わたしの唯ゆい一いつの血けつ縁えんです。
He is my only blood relative.
血けつ縁えんのない親しん族ぞくも大たい切せつにしている。
I also cherish relatives who are not related by blood.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉と血けつ縁えんがあるto be related to someone by blood
彼かれとは血けつ縁えんがある。
I am related to him by blood.
血けつ縁えんを重じゅう視しするto place importance on blood ties
この会かい社しゃは血けつ縁えんを重じゅう視しして後こう継けい者しゃを選えらぶ。
This company gives priority to blood ties when choosing its successor.
血けつ縁えんのない〈人ひと〉a person with no blood relation
血けつ縁えんのない子こどもを養よう子しとして育そだてた。
They raised a child with no blood relation as their adopted son.
〈人ひと〉の血けつ縁えんを探さがすto search for someone's blood relatives
彼かの女じょは生うまれ故こ郷きょうで自じ分ぶんの血けつ縁えんを探さがした。
She searched for her blood relatives in her hometown.

Kanji

血blood
縁affinity, relation, connection

Related words

血けつ族ぞく
血族 is the more formal, legal term for blood relatives (used in inheritance and family-register contexts), while 血縁 is the broader, everyday word for a blood tie or blood relative.
親しん族ぞくN1
親族 covers all relatives, including those by marriage or adoption, whereas 血縁 refers specifically to ties or relatives connected by blood.
親しん戚せきN4
親戚 is the common, casual word for relatives in general (blood or marriage), while 血縁 is a more formal term limited to blood ties.
肉にく親しんN1
血縁 is an abstract term for blood relationship or kinship itself, while 肉親 refers to the actual people who are one's blood relatives.

Opposites

姻いん族ぞく
姻族 refers to relatives connected through marriage (in-laws), the direct opposite of 血縁, which refers to relatives connected by blood.

Don't confuse with

血ち筋すじ
血縁 refers to the relationship of being blood relatives, while 血筋 refers to the lineage or line of descent itself.

Word family

血けつ縁えん者しゃ
blood relative
血けつ縁えん淘とう汰た
kin selection
血けつ縁えん関かん係けい
blood relationship; consanguinity
血けつ縁えん集しゅう団だん

Written forms

血縁Usage100%
- けつえん
  Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
- けちえん
  out-dated reading
  Obsolete reading; it is out-dated kana usage.
けちえん

Etymology

血 (blood) + 縁 (connection, tie). The reading けつえん is the standard Sino-Japanese reading. The obsolete reading けちえん reflects an older pronunciation of 血.

kin group; consanguineous group

out-dated reading