parent
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parent
A person in their role as the mother or father of a child. The term is often used in formal or legal contexts to be gender-neutral.
Für die Reise ins Ausland benötigt das Kind die schriftliche Erlaubnis von jedem Elternteil.
For the trip abroad, the child needs written permission from each parent.
The word consists of 'Eltern' (parents, plural for mother and father) and 'Teil' (part). So it literally means 'one part of the parents.' The neuter gender ('das') comes from the base word 'das Teil' (the part).
Jeder Elternteil muss das Formular unterschreiben.
Each parent must sign the form.
'Elternteil' (parent) is a formal term used especially in administrative language, legal texts, or psychology. It is used to speak about a mother or father in a gender-neutral way.
Auf dem Antragsformular muss mindestens ein Elternteil unterschreiben.
At least one parent must sign the application form.
You use this word when you mean one individual person but want to emphasize their role as mother or father without naming the gender. It is often combined with 'jeder' (each), 'ein' (one/a), or 'kein' (no).
Das Kind lebt nur bei einem Elternteil.
The child lives with only one parent.
