核家族

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 核家族, read かくかぞく, denotes a family unit centered on a couple or parents and their children.
• Basic usage: In 友人の家は、両親と子ども二人で暮らす核家族だ。, the household consists of two parents and two children.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Classification by relationships
  • The key to 両親と子ども二人 is the parent–child relationship rather than the number four. The term contrasts this unit with a family household including additional generations such as grandparents.