How to say "parent" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

親おやJLPT N4approx.Common
nounThe general word for a parent or one's parents, mother and father alike. Use it when talking about family relationships, as in asking whether someone's parents live nearby or speaking of one's own parent.
アナは、親おやが知しらないうちに結婚けっこんした。↗
Anna married without the knowledge of her parents.
保護者ほごしゃCommon
nounCovers the sense of parent as a guardian responsible for a child in official or institutional contexts, such as school forms, meetings or consent. As a plain family term, 親 is usually the natural choice instead.
ジョンはヘレンの保護者ほごしゃのようにふるまっている。↗
John acts like Helen's guardian.

Use 親 for a parent or parents in ordinary reference to family, and 保護者 for the legal or school-related role of a parent as guardian.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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