Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Related by blood, consanguineous: Refers to a direct biological family relationship, typically through shared parents.
   • Close, intimate (as of family): Describes a deep, inseparable bond akin to that of immediate family.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Họ là anh chị em ruột thịt. (They are siblings by birth.)
  • Chỉ có người ruột thịt mới hiểu được nỗi đau của cô ấy. (Only her flesh and blood / immediate family can understand her pain.)
  • Dù không cùng huyết thống, họ có tình cảm ruột thịt. (Although not related by blood, they share a bond as close as family.)

Advanced Usage

• "tình ruột thịt": blood ties; the deep affection inherent in a biological family relationship.
  • Tình ruột thịt là thứ không thể thay thế. (The bond of blood is irreplaceable.)
• Used to emphasize the authenticity and primacy of a biological relationship versus other types of relationships (e.g., adoptive, legal, or metaphorical).

Variants and Related Words

• Ruột rà (adj, idiom): A synonym often used interchangeably with "ruột thịt" to mean blood-related or very close kin.
  • Đây là chuyện trong nội bộ gia đình ruột rà. (This is a matter within the immediate blood family.)
• Máu mủ (n): Flesh and blood; used to refer to blood relations, often in the phrase "tình máu mủ."
• Thân thích (n): Relatives (a broader term that can include both close and extended family).

Synonyms

• Cùng huyết thống: Of the same bloodline.
• Cùng cha mẹ: Sharing the same parents.
• Thân thuộc: Kin, relatives (can be slightly broader).

Related Phrases / Idioms

• "một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã" (proverb): Literally "a drop of blood is worth more than a pond of plain water." It underscores the supreme value of blood relations, closely related to the concept of "ruột thịt."
• "chị ngã em nâng": A saying about sisters helping each other, often implying a "ruột thịt" relationship.

Notes on Meaning

• The primary and most common meaning is biological relation (meaning 1).
• The secondary meaning of deep intimacy (meaning 2) is derived from the primary one, describing a bond so close it feels like a blood relationship. This usage is often metaphorical but carries strong emotional weight.
• It is crucial to distinguish "ruột thịt" from general terms for relatives like "họ hàng" (extended family/clan) or "bà con" (relatives/kinsfolk), as "ruột thịt" specifies the closest, direct lineage.

1. By birth, by the same parents
   • Anh em ruột thịt
     Brothers by birth