Blood Relations: Types explained with examples

Blood relation is an important topic keeping in view the competitive exams. Blood relation shows the different relations among the members of a family. Based on the information given, we have to find relation between particular members of the family.

Around 3-4 questions based on this topic are usually asked in MBA entrance exams such as CAT, MAT, SNAP, XAT, etc. Scoring marks in this topic is easier as compared to many other topics in the reasoning section. So, you must be well versed with types of relations that exist in a family.

Here is the list of different types of relations you should know so as to solve questions based on this topic:

Relationship	Terms Used
Father's son or mother's son	Brother
Father's daughter or mother's daughter	Sister
Mother's brother (younger or elder)	Maternal Uncle
Father's brother (younger or elder)	Uncle (Paternal)
Father's sister (younger or elder)	Aunt
Mother's sister (younger or elder)	Aunt
Son's wife	Daughter-in-law
Daughter's husband	Son-in-law
Sister's husband	Brother-in-law
Husband's brother or wife's brother	Brother-in-law
Brother's wife	Sister-in-law
Husband's sister or wife's sister	Sister-in-law
Husband's father or wife's father	Father-in-law
Husband's mother or wife's mother	Mother-in-law
Brother's son or sister's son	Nephew
Brother's daughter or sister's daughter	Niece
Uncle's daughter or aunt's daughter	Cousin
Uncle's son or aunt's son	Cousin
Father's father or mother's father	Grandfather
Father's mother or mother's mother	Grandmother
Father of grandfather or father of grandmother	Great grandfather
Mother of grandfather or Mother of grandmother	Great grandmother

Tips on finding a relationship between two members of a family:

Step 1: The first and foremost step is to choose the two persons among whom the relationship is to be established.

Step 2: Now once you have chosen the two persons, pin-point the intermediate relationship between two persons, i.e. such relationship through which long drawn relationship can be established between the required persons.

Step 3: In the end, conclude the relationship between two required persons.

Make sure that you represent the gender of a female with a "□" sign and that of a male with a "⊕ .

Representation though diagram

⊕ | ⊕	Father-Son
⊕ | □	Father-Daughter
□ | ⊕	Mother-Son
□ | □	Mother-Daughter
⊕=□	Husband-Wife
⊕-⊕	Brothers
□-□	Sisters
⊕-□	Brother-Sister

Types of questions

• Based on Dialogue or conversation
• Based on puzzles
Keep in mind that from a person's name, we cannot judge the gender of that person. The name doesn't always show the gender beyond a reasonable doubt.

Solved Examples:

Question 1: Pointing to a girl in the photograph, Ajay said, "Her mother's brother is the only son of my mother's father." How is the girl's mother related to Ajay ?

A) Mother

B) Sister

C) Aunt

D) Grandmother

E) None of these

Solution:
Only son of Ajay's mother's father -- Ajay's maternal uncle.
So, the girl's maternal uncle is Ajay's maternal uncle. 
Thus, the girl's mother is Ajay's aunt.

Question 2: 
1. A + B means A is the brother of B
2. A × B means A is the father of B
3. A ÷ B means A is the mother of B

Which of the following would mean "G is the son of H"?
A) H × I × G
B) H + G × I
C) H ÷ G ÷ I
D) H × G + I

Solution: Answer: Option D
Go by options. In fourth option, our diagram will be like

We don't know the gender of I. So. We will not put any symbol on its side.
Now that you have understood the topic well and solved the above examples, you are ready to take the test on relations