1.
stepchild, child from a previous marriage
A child that one's spouse brings into a new marriage from a previous relationship.
彼女には連れ子がいる。
She has a child from a previous marriage.
連れ子も自分の子と同じように愛している。
I love my stepchild just the same as my own child.
再婚する時、お互いに連れ子がいた。
When we remarried, we each had children from previous marriages.
ETYMOLOGY:
From 連れる (to bring along) + 子 (child) - literally 'a child brought along.'
RELATED TERMS:
- 継子: stepchild (alternative term, sometimes with negative connotations as in fairytales)
- 義理の子: stepchild (more formal)
- 再婚: remarriage
USAGE NOTE:
連れ子 is a neutral, commonly used term in modern Japanese for discussing blended families.