grandchild

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 孫 means grandchild; its kun-reading is まご and its on-reading is そん.
• Basic usage: 孫(まご) includes grandsons and granddaughters, while 子孫(しそん) means descendants.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A grandchild's gender and the range of descendants
  • 孫 can mean a grandson or granddaughter. Even in a reference to a letter from a grandchild, the word alone does not specify gender.
  • 創設者の子孫 means the founder's descendants. 子孫 covers successive descendants rather than being limited to the grandchildren's generation.