亲生 qīnshēng one's own
one's own (child) (i.e. one's child by birth); biological (parents); birth (parents)
How to remember 亲生: 亲 kin + 生 life = one's own.
Characters
How it is used
- Biological (child or parent), by birth - 他不是我亲生的儿子 (tā búshì wǒ qīnshēng de érzi) he isn't my biological son.
- Attributive: 亲生父母 (birth parents), 亲生孩子 (one's own child). Draws the line against adopted or step- relations.
- Contrast 养 in 养父母 (yǎng fùmǔ, adoptive parents) and 继 in 继父 (jìfù, stepfather).