亲骨肉 (qīn gǔ ròu) — one's own flesh and blood (usually a biological child or close blood relative)

Definition

Literary term for one's biological close relatives — one's own children or blood kin. Emphasizes the unbreakable biological bond, stronger and more formal than just saying 家人.

noun
one's own flesh and blood (usually a biological child or close blood relative)

Examples

  • 亲骨肉。
    Mǔ zǐ zhī jiān de qīn gǔ ròu shì wú fǎ gē duàn de.
    The bond between a mother and her own flesh and blood cannot be severed.
  • 亲骨肉。
    Tā zhōng yú zhǎo dào le zì jǐ de qīn gǔ ròu.
    She finally found her own flesh and blood.
  • 亲骨肉。
    Tā wèi le qīn gǔ ròu kě yǐ fù chū yí qiè.
    He would give up everything for his own flesh and blood.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

亲qīnclose
骨肉bone and flesh
骨gǔbone肉ròuflesh
联合Side by side

亲 (close) intensifies 骨肉 (bone and flesh), the idiomatic image for one's own relatives.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original shape of 肉 showed ribs of an animal’s torso, or simply a slice of meat.

Open 肉 →

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