親

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 親(おや) refers to a parent in relation to a child.
• Basic usage: It is used when talking about contacting one's parents or the responsibilities of a parent.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• One parent or both
  • 親 alone does not specify whether one parent or both are meant.
  • 両親(りょうしん) specifically refers to both parents.
• Reading in compounds
  • 親子(おやこ) refers to a parent and child together; 親 is read おや here.