Blood relation questions describe a family in a few short statements and ask how two people are related. They test careful reading more than knowledge. With a simple family tree, the right English and Nepali terms, and the habit of reading one link at a time, these become some of the easiest marks in the mental ability section of Lok Sewa exams.
1. Relation terms in English and Nepali
Many mistakes come from mixing up terms. Learn this table well; questions often use phrases like “father’s sister” instead of the name of the relation.
| Description | English | Nepali |
|---|---|---|
| Father’s elder brother | Paternal uncle | Thulobua (ठूलोबुवा) |
| Father’s younger brother | Paternal uncle | Kaka (काका) |
| Father’s sister | Paternal aunt | Phupu (फुपू) |
| Mother’s brother | Maternal uncle | Mama (मामा) |
| Mother’s brother’s wife | Maternal aunt | Maiju (माइजू) |
| Mother’s elder sister | Maternal aunt | Thulima (ठूलीआमा) |
| Mother’s younger sister | Maternal aunt | Sanima (सानीआमा) |
| Brother’s son / daughter | Nephew / niece | Bhatija / Bhatiji (भतिजा / भतिजी) |
| Sister’s son / daughter (for a man) | Nephew / niece | Bhanja / Bhanji (भान्जा / भान्जी) |
| Son’s wife | Daughter-in-law | Buhari (बुहारी) |
| Daughter’s husband | Son-in-law | Jwain (ज्वाइँ) |
| Uncle’s or aunt’s child | Cousin | Daju-bhai or didi-bahini (relative) |
2. Think in generations
Place every person in a generation. Relations move up or down one step at a time.
| Generation | People (from your position) |
|---|---|
| +2 | Grandfather, grandmother |
| +1 | Father, mother, uncles, aunts |
| 0 | You, brothers, sisters, cousins, husband or wife |
| −1 | Son, daughter, nephews, nieces |
| −2 | Grandson, granddaughter |
If a question needs two steps up and one step down, the answer is in generation +1 (an uncle, aunt, father or mother). Counting generations quickly removes wrong options.
3. Draw a family tree
Use simple symbols on rough paper. A common set is: + for male, − for female, a = sign between a married couple, a vertical line from parent to child and a horizontal line between brothers and sisters. Write the gender only when the question tells you; if it is not given, leave it blank.
4. Type 1: chain of statements
Example: A is B’s sister. C is B’s mother. D is C’s father. How is A related to D?
- A and B are children of C, so A is C’s daughter (A is a sister, so female).
- D is C’s father, so D is two generations above A.
- A is the daughter of D’s daughter. Answer: A is D’s granddaughter.
Example: X is the brother of Y. Z is the father of X. W is the sister of Z. How is Y related to W?
- Y is a child of Z. W is Z’s sister, so W is Y’s aunt (phupu).
- The gender of Y is not given. Answer: Y is W’s nephew or niece.
5. Type 2: pointing or introducing
In these questions the speaker describes someone using “my”. Always start from the speaker and work outwards, replacing each phrase with a simpler one.
Example: Pointing to a man, Ram said, “His mother is the only daughter of my mother.” How is the man related to Ram?
- “The only daughter of my mother” is Ram’s sister.
- So the man’s mother is Ram’s sister, and the man is Ram’s sister’s son.
- Answer: nephew (bhanja).
Example: Introducing a woman, Hari said, “She is the wife of the only son of my father.” The only son of Hari’s father is Hari himself, so the woman is Hari’s wife.
6. Type 3: coded relations
Some questions use symbols. Suppose A + B means A is the father of B, A − B means A is the wife of B and A × B means A is the brother of B.
- M + N × O: M is the father of N, and N is the brother of O. So O is also M’s child, and M is O’s father.
- P − Q + R: P is the wife of Q, and Q is the father of R. So P is R’s mother.
Decode one symbol at a time from left to right, draw the small tree, and only then read the question.
7. Common traps
- Gender not given: “child”, “nephew or niece” or “cannot be determined” may be the correct option.
- Only son, only daughter: “my father’s only son” spoken by a man is the man himself.
- In-laws: a husband’s sister is a sister-in-law; a son’s wife is a daughter-in-law.
- Cousins: the child of any uncle or aunt is a cousin, whichever side of the family.
📌 Key points to remember
- Start from the speaker and replace each phrase with a simpler one.
- Put every person in a generation: +2, +1, 0, −1, −2.
- Draw a small tree with symbols for male, female and marriage.
- Do not assume gender if it is not given.
- “My father’s only son” said by a man means himself.
- Mama is mother’s brother; phupu is father’s sister.
- Bhatija is a brother’s son; bhanja is a sister’s son.
Test yourself: Blood Relations
Practise Relation terms in English and Nepali, Type 1: chain of statements and Common traps with 50 questions. Each attempt picks 25 at random.