亲 meaning and stroke order
Parent; one's own (flesh and blood); relative
How to write 亲, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
Meaning of 亲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- parent
- one's own (flesh and blood)
- relative
- related
- marriage
- bride
- parents-in-law of one's offspring
How 亲 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A tree 木 bearing fruit 立.
Radical: 立 (to stand), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 亲
Picture a tree 木 with fruit 立 growing on top, which is what the etymology hint describes. Fruit from your own family tree reminds you that 亲 (qīn) means your own flesh and blood, your relatives and parents.
亲 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It appears in family words like 父亲 (fùqīn) and 亲人 (qīnrén), and in words meaning "in person" or "close" like 亲自 (qīnzì) and 亲密 (qīnmì). Example: 我亲眼看见了。(Wǒ qīnyǎn kànjiàn le.) I saw it with my own eyes.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 亲 with 新 (xīn, new), which has 亲 on the left plus 斤, or with 辛 (xīn, bitter). Also note that in 父亲 and 母亲 the second syllable is often said in the neutral tone, fùqin and mǔqin.
Common words with 亲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 父亲 | fùqīn | father; also pr. [fu4 qin5] | HSK 3 |
| 母亲 | mǔqīn | mother | HSK 3 |
| 亲自 | qīnzì | personally; in person | HSK 3 |
| 亲人 | qīnrén | one's close relatives | HSK 3 |
| 亲切 | qīnqiè | amiable; cordial | HSK 3 |
| 亲爱 | qīn'ài | dear; beloved | HSK 4 |
| 亲密 | qīnmì | intimate; close | HSK 4 |
| 亲眼 | qīnyǎn | with one's own eyes; personally | HSK 6 |
| 亲属 | qīnshǔ | kin; kindred | HSK 6 |
| 亲手 | qīnshǒu | with one's own hands; personally | HSK 7-9 |
| 亲戚 | qīnqi | a relative (i.e. family relation) | HSK 7-9 |
| 亲近 | qīnjìn | (of people or relationships) close; intimate; to draw close to; to engage with; to become | HSK 7-9 |
| 亲生 | qīnshēng | one's own (child) (i.e. one's child by birth); biological (parents) | HSK 7-9 |
| 亲热 | qīnrè | affectionate; intimate; warmhearted; to show affection for | HSK 7-9 |
亲 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 亲
Learning 亲 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 亲
How many strokes are in 亲?
亲 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 亲 mean?
亲 (qīn) means parent; one's own (flesh and blood); relative. A common word with it is 父亲 (fùqīn), meaning "father; also pr. [fu4 qin5]".
How do you pronounce 亲?
亲 is pronounced qīn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 亲?
The radical of 亲 is 立, which carries the idea of "to stand". Dictionaries list 亲 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 亲?
The traditional form of 亲 is 親. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 亲 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 亲 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 亲 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why do people online say 亲 to each other?
亲 (qīn) is a short form of 亲爱的 (qīn'ài de, dear). Online shop staff in China famously use it to address customers in a friendly way, like saying "dear" or "hon".
When is 亲 pronounced qìng?
Only in the word 亲家 (qìngjia), which refers to the parents of your son-in-law or daughter-in-law. In almost every other word it is qīn.