血缘

• Pinyin: xuè yuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 血 = pictograph of blood in a vessel; 缘 = 纟 + 彖 (silk thread + connection — a connecting thread, bond, or fate)

Meaning

Blood relation; consanguinity; kinship by blood. The biological relationship connecting people who share common ancestors.

Central to Chinese family and social structure. 血缘关系 (blood ties) forms the foundation of traditional family ethics in Confucian society. Contrasted with 姻缘 (marital connection) and 地缘 (geographic community ties). Increasingly discussed in contexts of adoption, sperm donation, and genetic identity.

Examples

1. 虽然他是被领养的，但养父母给予他的爱毫不逊色于血缘父母，他视他们为真正的家人。 Although he was adopted, his adoptive parents loved him no less than biological parents would, and he considers them his true family.
2. 中国传统社会以血缘关系为纽带构建家族网络，同姓宗族之间相互扶持的传统延续了数千年。 Traditional Chinese society used blood ties to build clan networks, and the tradition of mutual support among people of the same surname has continued for thousands of years.
3. 基因检测技术的普及，使得人们通过血缘关系寻找失散已久的亲属成为可能，也引发了一系列新的伦理讨论。 As genetic testing has become widespread, it’s now possible for people to find long-lost relatives through blood ties, but it has also sparked a new set of ethical debates.

Usage Guide

Context: family, sociology, law, genetics, adoption

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 法律规定，具有直系血缘关系的近亲属不得缔结婚姻，这一禁止性规定旨在防止近亲结婚所带来的遗传风险。(The law stipulates that close relatives with a direct blood relationship may not enter into marriage; this prohibition is designed to prevent the genetic risks associated with consanguineous marriages.)
• 心理学研究表明，血缘关系固然重要，但童年时期的情感依附与家庭环境对人格发展的影响往往更为深远。(Psychological research indicates that while blood ties are certainly important, the emotional attachments and family environment of childhood often have a far more profound influence on personality development.)

Don't Say

• 我们有血缘所以一定合得来 — blood relation does not guarantee compatibility or harmony; 合得来 depends on personality and shared experience; conflating blood ties with personal compatibility sounds naive

Origin & History

血 (blood) + 缘 (connection/bond/fate) — the bond formed through shared blood

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional/Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal