両親
りょうしん
ryoushin
= parents; both parents; one’s father and mother
Japanese offers several ways to refer to your parents depending on whom you are speaking to and how formal you wish to be. Ryoushin (両親) is the most neutral and versatile of these, the word that appears in paperwork, formal conversation, and everything in between — without the warmth of otousan or the stiffness of legal language.
Ryoushin (両親) literally means ‘both parents’ — ryou (両) means ‘both’ or ‘two,’ and shin (親) means ‘parent’ or ‘kin.’ Together they produce a word that refers to a person’s father and mother as a unit. Unlike English, where ‘parents’ and ‘my parents’ depend on context, Japanese speakers must navigate a system of in-group versus out-group language. When you refer to your own parents in conversation with someone outside your family, you use plain forms like ryoushin or oya (親) — humble, unadorned. When speaking to or about someone else’s parents, you add go- as a prefix: go-ryoushin (ご両親), which elevates the term out of respect. This distinction trips up learners who rely on ‘my parents’ as a one-size-fits-all phrase.
The most important distinction to master is ryoushin (your own parents, plain) versus go-ryoushin (someone else’s parents, respectful). Saying go-ryoushin to refer to your own parents sounds oddly self-elevating — a faux pas in formal settings. Also, ryoushin refers specifically to the biological or legally recognized father-and-mother unit; for a single parent or a non-standard family, speakers often say oya (親) or specify directly. On forms and bureaucratic documents, hogo-sha (保護者, guardian/guardian) appears instead of ryoushin to include various family structures.
両 (both/two) is written with a distinctive shape: two boxes set side by side beneath a horizontal roof stroke, visually suggesting a pair. Its radical is 入 (enter), though its meaning is entirely about duality. 親 (parent/kin) is a compound character pairing 立 (stand) and 木 (tree) above 見 (see) — traditionally read as a parent standing in a tree, watching over their child below, though modern kanji scholars note this folk etymology is approximate. Together, 両親 captures ‘the pair who watches over you.’
Casual / Social Media
両親に紹介したい人がいます。
Ryoushin ni shoukai shitai hito ga imasu.
There is someone I want to introduce to my parents. (telling a close friend about a relationship)
Formal / Cultural context
ご両親はお元気ですか？
Go-ryoushin wa ogenki desu ka?
How are your parents doing? (polite inquiry to a colleague or acquaintance)
Everyday use
両親の反対を押し切って海外留学を決めた。
Ryoushin no hantai wo oshikitte kaigai ryuugaku wo kimeta.
I decided to study abroad despite my parents’ opposition. (narrative in a personal essay or social media post)
In Japanese culture, the relationship between children and parents carries particular social weight, especially around the concept of on (恩) — the debt of gratitude owed to those who have raised and supported you. This is not purely emotional but also social and even financial; adult children are culturally expected to care for aging parents in ways that differ markedly from many Western norms. Ryoushin as a word quietly encodes this unity: parents are not two individuals but a single foundational pair.
Wedding ceremonies and formal life milestones often involve ritual acknowledgment of go-ryoushin. The Japanese wedding speech genre known as hanamuko no chikainoことば (vows) frequently ends with a direct address to both sets of parents in the room, using go-ryoushin to honor them collectively. This public recognition of the parental unit reflects a broader emphasis on family as the anchor of personal identity in Japanese social life.