noun
parent; parents; mother and father
Only when written 親
Refers to one parent or to one's parents collectively; context usually makes singular or plural clear.
進路について親に相談した。
I talked with my parents about my future plans.
親として子ども
As a parent, I want to protect my child.
noun
Only when written 親
Specialized use in mahjong and some card games for the player who deals or acts as banker; contrasted with 子 for non-dealer players.
See also: 子
次の局は私が親です。
I am the dealer for the next round.
麻雀では親が最初に牌を捨てる。
In mahjong, the dealer discards a tile first.
noun
Often used in expressions like 生みの親 for the person who created, founded, or originated something. The spelling 祖 for おや is rare and literary.
彼はこのゲームの生みの親だ。
He is the creator of this game.
その制度の親は、当時の市長だと言われている。
The originator of that system is said to have been the mayor at the time.
noun
pet owner; pet parent
Only when written 親
Affectionate or informal extension for a person responsible for a pet; 飼い主 is the more neutral everyday word for 'owner'.
ペットの親として、最後まで世話をする責任がある。
As a pet owner, you are responsible for caring for it to the end.
noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun
parent organization; main; primary
Only when written 親
Used in compound-like expressions for a controlling, main, or higher-level entity, as in 親会社 'parent company' or 親機 'main unit'.
親会社が海外に本社を置いている。
The parent company has its headquarters overseas.
まず親機の電源を入れてください。
Please turn on the main unit first.
noun
Rare or literary use meaning an ancestor or forefather. In ordinary modern Japanese, 先祖 is the usual word; 祖 written for おや is mainly of historical or literary interest.
古い文章では、「祖」が先祖を指すことがある。
In old writing, 祖 read おや can refer to an ancestor.