亲

親

qīn, qìng

朩 + 立

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

qīn (noun) relative; related by blood

qīn (adjective) close; intimate

qīn (noun) parents; family

qīn (verb) to kiss

qīn (adverb) in person; first-hand

qìng (noun) parents-in-law

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 辛 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "chestnut". This character was repurposed during character simplification as the simplified form of 親.

About

The traditional character 親 combines the phonetic-semantic component 亲 with 見 (jiàn, to see) on the right, emphasizing the act of visiting relatives. The simplified form 亲 retains only the left portion: 立 (lì, to stand) above 木 (mù, tree). Its meaning centers on close family ties, blood relations, and intimacy. It denotes parents, marriage bonds, and deep affection between people. As an adjective, it describes something done in person or firsthand, reflecting direct involvement.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

亲人们都很好。

Qīn rén men dōu hěn hǎo.

All the relatives are very well.

我亲口告诉他了。

Wǒ qīn kǒu gào sù tā le.

I told him personally with my own mouth.

她亲自下厨做饭。

Tā qīn zì xià chú zuò fàn.

She personally cooked the meal.

这对新人非常亲密。

Zhè duì xīn rén fēi cháng qīn mì.

This newlywed couple is very intimate.

他对孩子过分亲热了。

Tā duì hái zi guò fèn qīn rè le.

He was overly affectionate with the child.

他们俩亲密无间像兄弟。

Tā men liǎ qīn mì wú jiàn xiàng xiōng dì.

The two of them are as close as brothers, with no secrets between them.

公司领导亲切慰问了员工。

Gōng sī lǐng dǎo qīn qiè wèi wèn le yuán gōng.

The company leaders kindly expressed their regards to the employees.

两国签署了新的贸易亲善协议。

Liǎng guó qiān shǔ le xīn de mào yì qīn shàn xié yì.

The two countries signed a new trade and goodwill agreement.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 朩

Component: 立

亲