親おや

noun

dealer; banker

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

• 次つぎの局きょくは私わたしが親おやです。

  I am the dealer for the next round.

• 麻雀まーじゃんでは親おやが最さい初しょに牌ぱいを捨すてる。

  In mahjong, the dealer discards a tile first.

noun

originator; founder; inventor

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.

• 彼かれはこのゲームの生うみの親おやだ。

  He is the creator of this game.

• その制せい度どの親おやは、当とう時じの市し長ちょうだと言いわれている。

  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'.

• ペットの親おやとして、最さい後ごまで世せ話わをする責せき任にんがある。

  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'.

• 親おや会がい社しゃが海かい外がいに本ほん社しゃを置おいている。

  The parent company has its headquarters overseas.

• まず親おや機きの電でん源げんを入いれてください。

  Please turn on the main unit first.

noun

ancestor; forefather

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.

• 古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、「祖おや」が先せん祖ぞを指さすことがある。

  In old writing, 祖 read おや can refer to an ancestor.