連(つ)れ子(こ)

つれこ

noun

stepchild, child from a previous marriage

1. stepchild, child from a previous marriage

A child that one's spouse brings into a new marriage from a previous relationship.

She has a child from a previous marriage.

I love my stepchild just the same as my own child.

再婚(さいこん)する時(とき)、お互(たが)いに連(つ)れ子(こ)がいた。

When we remarried, we each had children from previous marriages.

From 連(つ)れる (to bring along) + 子(こ) (child) - literally 'a child brought along.'

継子(ままこ): stepchild (alternative term, sometimes with negative connotations as in fairytales)
義理(ぎり)の子(こ): stepchild (more formal)
再婚(さいこん): remarriage

連(つ)れ子(こ) is a neutral, commonly used term in modern Japanese for discussing blended families.

Related Words

general

Added 2026.2.5 11:48 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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