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Blood Relations

Q: A is the mother of B. C is the father of A. D is the son of B. How is C related to D?

Grandfather. A is mother of B (A(-) ↑ B). C is father of A (C(+) ↑ A). So C is the father of B's mother, making C the maternal grandfather of B. D is son of B (B ↑ D(+)). Therefore, C is the grandfather of D.

Q: P is the sister of Q. R is the brother of S. S is the daughter of P. How is R related to Q?

Nephew. P is sister of Q (P(-) --- Q). S is daughter of P (P ↑ S(-)). R is brother of S (R(+) --- S(-)). So, R is the son of P. Since P is Q's sister, R is Q's sister's son. Thus, R is Q's nephew.

Q: Pointing to a man in a photograph, a woman said, 'His brother's father is the only son of my grandfather.' How is the woman related to the man in the photograph?

Sister. 1. 'My grandfather's only son' refers to the woman's father. 2. 'His brother's father' means the man's father. 3. So, the man's father is the woman's father. This implies that the man and the woman share the same father. Therefore, they are siblings. The woman is the man's sister.

Q: If P + Q means P is the mother of Q, P - Q means P is the brother of Q, and P * Q means P is the father of Q. What does R + S * T mean?

R is the grandmother of T. 1. S * T means S is the father of T (S(+) ↑ T). 2. R + S means R is the mother of S (R(-) ↑ S). 3. Combining these, R is the mother of S, and S is the father of T. This makes R the mother of T's father. So, R is T's paternal grandmother.

Q: A man said to a woman, 'Your mother's husband's daughter is my only child.' How is the woman related to the man?

Wife. 1. 'Your mother's husband' refers to the woman's father. 2. 'Your mother's husband's daughter' refers to the woman herself (assuming she is the only daughter of her parents, which is implied by 'daughter' in this context of one direct line of relation). 3. '...is my only child'. So, the woman is the man's only child. This means the man is the woman's father. So the man is speaking to his daughter. The question asks how the woman is related to the man. The woman is the man's daughter.

Free Content10 MCQs

Introduction

Have you ever tried to figure out how your mom's brother is related to you, or what your cousin's father is called? Blood Relations is all about understanding these family connections! It's like solving a fun puzzle where you figure out who is related to whom. This topic helps you think logically and is super important for many competitive exams, just like knowing who is on your team in a cricket match.

Relations

Family Tree

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Short Tricks

Save time in exam

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Short Tricks

Learn these once — solve in seconds in the exam hall

5 tricks

⚡01

The 'My' Person First Trick

When you see sentences like 'He is the son of my father's brother', always start with the word 'my'. 'My' refers to the person who is speaking. From 'my' (the speaker), trace the relations step-by-step backwards. It makes complex chains simple!

✅ Example:Question: 'He is the son of my mother's brother.' Steps: 'My mother's brother' = My Uncle. 'Son of My Uncle' = My Cousin. Done!

ReasoningSpeed MathShortcut

⚡02

Use Simple Gender Symbols

Don't get confused by names. Always use simple symbols like a plus (+) for male and a minus (-) for female. Or draw a square for male and a circle for female. This visual cue immediately tells you the gender and helps eliminate wrong options fast.

✅ Example:A is B's brother (+). B is C's sister (-). D is A's son (+). See how quickly you know their genders!

ReasoningVisual AidShortcut

⚡03

Generation Gap Helper

Think of family as levels in a building. Your grandparents are on the 2nd floor, parents on the 1st, you on the ground floor, and kids in the basement. This helps you quickly see if someone is a parent (one level up) or a grandparent (two levels up). It helps rule out options that are in the wrong generation.

✅ Example:If the answer is 'Grandfather', and your diagram shows only one level up, you know you made a mistake or need to re-check.

ReasoningLogicMental Math

⚡04

The Connect the Dots Trick

When you have many small statements (like A is brother of B, B is father of C, C is wife of D), connect them one by one. Draw a small piece of the family tree for each statement. Then, join these small pieces to make a big tree. It's like building with Lego blocks!

✅ Example:Statement 1: A is B's brother. (A(+) --- B) Statement 2: B is C's father. (B(+) ↑ C). Combine: A(+) --- B(+) ↑ C. This makes it easy.

ReasoningDiagramStrategy

⚡05

Eliminate by Gender

After you have figured out the gender of the person whose relation is asked, immediately look at the options. If the question asks for a 'brother' and an option is 'sister', you can cut it out! This saves time in multiple-choice questions.

✅ Example:If the question asks 'How is X related to Y?' and you know X is male, immediately remove all female options like 'daughter', 'mother', 'aunt'.

ReasoningEliminationSpeed Math

Full Explanation

Understanding Blood Relations

Blood relations is a crucial topic in reasoning for competitive exams. It tests your ability to understand and interpret relationships within a family. Think of it as mapping out your own family connections. To master this, we need to understand a few basic things:

Generations

Families are built across different generations. Imagine a ladder where each step is a generation:

Grandparents' Generation: Your grandfather, grandmother, their siblings (grand-uncle, grand-aunt).
Parents' Generation: Your father, mother, their siblings (uncle, aunt), and their spouses.
Your Generation: You, your siblings, your cousins, and your spouse.
Children's Generation: Your children, your nieces, your nephews.
Grandchildren's Generation: Your grandchildren.

Gender Identification

Identifying the gender (male or female) of each person in the problem is super important. We often use simple symbols:

Male: We can use a square (☐) or a plus sign (+).
Female: We can use a circle (○) or a minus sign (-).

Remember, a name alone (like 'Kiran' or 'Rahul') doesn't always tell you the gender unless specifically stated in Indian context. For example, 'Kiran' can be a boy or a girl.

Common Relationships

Here's a quick list of common relations you'll encounter:

Father's/Mother's Son: Brother (of self)
Father's/Mother's Daughter: Sister (of self)
Father's Mother: Paternal Grandmother
Father's Father: Paternal Grandfather
Mother's Mother: Maternal Grandmother
Mother's Father: Maternal Grandfather
Father's Brother: Paternal Uncle (Chacha)
Father's Sister: Paternal Aunt (Bua)
Mother's Brother: Maternal Uncle (Mama)
Mother's Sister: Maternal Aunt (Mausi)
Children of Uncle/Aunt: Cousin
Son's Wife: Daughter-in-law
Daughter's Husband: Son-in-law
Brother's Son: Nephew
Brother's Daughter: Niece
Sister's Son: Nephew
Sister's Daughter: Niece
Husband's/Wife's Brother: Brother-in-law
Husband's/Wife's Sister: Sister-in-law

How to Draw a Family Tree

Drawing a family tree is the easiest way to solve blood relation problems. Use simple symbols to make it clear:

For Males: Use a square (☐).
For Females: Use a circle (○).
To show marriage: Use a double horizontal line (=) between the husband and wife. Example: A = B (A is married to B).
To show siblings: Use a single horizontal line (-) between siblings. Example: A - B (A and B are siblings).
To show parent and child: Use a vertical line (↓ or ↑). The parent is above the child. Example: A ↓ B (A is the parent of B).

Always start drawing the tree from the 'main' person or the person whose relation is being described. For example, if the question says, 'Pointing to a photo, Raman said...', start by placing Raman and then relating others to him.

Practice makes perfect! The more you draw these trees, the faster you'll become at solving even the trickiest blood relation puzzles.

Formulas & Rules

Male Member Symbol

Person (+)

Female Member Symbol

Person (-)

Parent-Child Relation

Parent ↑↓ Child

Siblings Relation

Sibling --- Sibling

Spousal Relation

Husband === Wife

Decoding 'My'

My relation = Speaker's relation

Comparison

Relationship Type	English Example	Hindi Example	Diagram Symbol (Example)
Direct Parent-Child	Father-Son	पिता-पुत्र	Father (+) ↑ Son (+)
Siblings	Brother-Sister	भाई-बहन	Brother (+) --- Sister (-)
Spousal Relation	Husband-Wife	पति-पत्नी	Husband (+) === Wife (-)
Maternal Relation	Mother's Brother (Mama)	माँ का भाई (मामा)	Mother (-) --- Mama (+)
Paternal Relation	Father's Sister (Bua)	पिता की बहन (बुआ)	Father (+) --- Bua (-)

Solved Examples

Example 1

Q: Pointing to a boy, Vinay said, "He is the son of my father's only daughter-in-law." How is the boy related to Vinay?

Solution:

1. 'My father's only daughter-in-law' means Vinay's wife (assuming Vinay is married and has no brother who could have a wife).
2. 'He is the son of my father's only daughter-in-law' means the boy is the son of Vinay's wife.
3. Therefore, the boy is Vinay's son.

Answer: Son

Example 2

Q: If A is the brother of B; C is the father of D; E is the mother of B; A and D are brothers. How is E related to C?

Solution:

1. A is brother of B (A(+) --- B)
2. A and D are brothers (A(+) --- D(+)). So, B is also a sibling of D.
3. E is mother of B (E(-) ↑ B). Since A, B, D are siblings, E is also mother of A and D.
4. C is father of D (C(+) ↑ D). Since E is mother of D and C is father of D, C and E must be married.
5. Therefore, E is the wife of C.

Answer: Wife

Example 3

Q: P $ Q means P is the father of Q. P # Q means P is the mother of Q. P @ Q means P is the sister of Q. If A # B $ C @ D, then how is A related to D?

Solution:

1. A # B means A is the mother of B. (A(-) ↑ B)
2. B $ C means B is the father of C. (B(+) ↑ C). So A is C's grandmother.
3. C @ D means C is the sister of D. (C(-) --- D). This means D is also B's child.
4. So, A is the mother of B, and B is the father of C and D. This makes A the paternal grandmother of C and D.
5. Therefore, A is the grandmother of D.

Answer: Grandmother

Example 4

Q: A woman says to a man, 'Your mother's husband's sister is my aunt.' How is the woman related to the man?

Solution:

1. Start from 'Your mother's husband'. This is the man's father.
2. 'Your mother's husband's sister' means the man's father's sister, which is the man's paternal aunt (Bua).
3. The woman says this paternal aunt is 'my aunt'. This means the man's paternal aunt is also the woman's aunt.
4. This implies that the man and the woman share the same paternal aunt. This can happen if they are siblings or cousins.
5. Since the woman's aunt is the man's father's sister, and the woman calls her 'my aunt', it means the woman is either the man's sister (same father) or the daughter of another brother of the man's father (cousin). However, the phrasing 'is my aunt' strongly suggests a direct aunt, meaning they share common parents or at least the father's side. If they share the same paternal aunt, their fathers must be brothers. If the man's father's sister is the woman's aunt, then the woman's father is the man's father's brother (uncle). Hence, the woman is the man's cousin.
Re-evaluating step 5: 'Your mother's husband's sister' = Man's Paternal Aunt. 'is my aunt' implies this paternal aunt is also the woman's aunt. If the woman's aunt is the man's father's sister, then the woman's father must be either the man's father (making them siblings) or the man's father's brother (making them cousins). Without further info, 'cousin' is the most general correct relation for 'aunt'. If the woman said 'is my father's sister', then they would be siblings. But 'my aunt' allows for cousin as well. If the question implies the most direct relation, they could be siblings, but 'aunt' often covers a broader set. Let's assume the question is designed for the most common interpretation. If the man's paternal aunt is the woman's aunt, then the woman's father is either the man's father or the man's paternal uncle. If her father is the man's father, she is his sister. If her father is the man's paternal uncle, she is his cousin. The most precise relation is difficult without more context. However, typically, in these types of questions, if the woman's aunt is specifically the man's father's sister, it means they share a common paternal family line. Let's go with the most direct interpretation: if the man's Paternal Aunt is also the woman's Aunt, it implies the woman's father is either the man's father (making them siblings) or the man's father's brother (making them cousins). The simplest case is they are siblings, as the aunt is the sister of their common father. If the man's father has only one sister, and that sister is the woman's aunt, then the woman's father must be the man's father. Thus, they are siblings.
Corrected step 5: If the man's paternal aunt is also the woman's aunt, it means the woman's father is the man's father. Thus, the woman is the man's sister.

Answer: Sister

🌍 Real-World Scenarios

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family Photo Puzzle

Your grandmother shows you an old family photo and says, 'This boy's father is the only son of my only child.' Who is the boy in the photo?

🎂Birthday Guest List

You're making a guest list for your birthday party. Your mom tells you to invite 'your dad's sister's daughter'. How would you tell your friend to address her?

📜Ancestry Adventure

You're researching your family history. You find a record stating 'Rohan is the grandson of Meena, who is the sister of Arjun. Arjun is the father of Preeti.' How is Rohan related to Preeti?

🕵️Detective Family Tree

In a mystery novel, the detective learns: 'The culprit's mother is my only sister-in-law (Bhabhi)'. If the detective is a man, how is the culprit related to him?

Tricky Questions

Introducing a man, a woman said, "His wife is the only daughter of my father." How is the man related to the woman?

Raman is the brother of Aman. Sunita is the mother of Raman. Jai is the father of Sunita. How is Jai related to Aman?

A # B means A is the brother of B. A @ B means A is the daughter of B. A $ B means A is the husband of B. How is P related to T in P @ Q $ R # T?

Looking at a portrait, a man said, 'That person's mother is the only daughter of my mother-in-law.' How is the man related to the person in the portrait?

Practice MCQ Quiz

1A is the mother of B. C is the father of A. D is the son of B. How is C related to D?

2P is the sister of Q. R is the brother of S. S is the daughter of P. How is R related to Q?

3Pointing to a man in a photograph, a woman said, 'His brother's father is the only son of my grandfather.' How is the woman related to the man in the photograph?

4If P + Q means P is the mother of Q, P - Q means P is the brother of Q, and P * Q means P is the father of Q. What does R + S * T mean?

5A man said to a woman, 'Your mother's husband's daughter is my only child.' How is the woman related to the man?

6M is the son of P. Q is the granddaughter of O who is the husband of P. How is M related to O?

7Anjali is the daughter of Gopal's brother. Gopal is the husband of Maya. How is Anjali related to Maya?

8A is the father of B and C. B is the son of A, but C is not the daughter of A. How is C related to A?

9X is the husband of Y. W is the daughter of X. Z is the husband of W. N is the daughter of Z. What is the relationship of N to Y?

10Pointing to a man, a lady said, 'He is the son of my mother's husband's mother.' How is the man related to the lady?

⚡01The 'My' Person First Trick

✅ Question: 'He is the son of my mother's brother.' Steps: 'My mother's brother' = My Uncle. 'Son of My Uncle' = My Cousin. Done!

ReasoningSpeed MathShortcut

⚡02Use Simple Gender Symbols

✅ A is B's brother (+). B is C's sister (-). D is A's son (+). See how quickly you know their genders!

ReasoningVisual AidShortcut

⚡03Generation Gap Helper

✅ If the answer is 'Grandfather', and your diagram shows only one level up, you know you made a mistake or need to re-check.

ReasoningLogicMental Math

⚡04The Connect the Dots Trick

✅ Statement 1: A is B's brother. (A(+) --- B) Statement 2: B is C's father. (B(+) ↑ C). Combine: A(+) --- B(+) ↑ C. This makes it easy.

ReasoningDiagramStrategy

⚡05Eliminate by Gender

✅ If the question asks 'How is X related to Y?' and you know X is male, immediately remove all female options like 'daughter', 'mother', 'aunt'.

ReasoningEliminationSpeed Math

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Table of Contents

Introduction In Short Full Explanation Formulas Comparison Solved Examples Tricky Questions Practice Quiz

Quick Formulas

Male Member Symbol

Person (+)

Female Member Symbol

Person (-)

Parent-Child Relation

Parent ↑↓ Child

+3 more formulas below

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Relationship Type

English Example

Hindi Example

Diagram Symbol (Example)

Direct Parent-Child

Father-Son

पिता-पुत्र

Father (+) ↑ Son (+)

Siblings

Brother-Sister

भाई-बहन

Brother (+) --- Sister (-)

Spousal Relation

Husband-Wife

पति-पत्नी

Husband (+) === Wife (-)

Maternal Relation

Mother's Brother (Mama)

माँ का भाई (मामा)

Mother (-) --- Mama (+)

Paternal Relation

Father's Sister (Bua)

पिता की बहन (बुआ)

Father (+) --- Bua (-)