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Hidden/Tricky Relationship

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Introduction

Hidden or tricky relationship problems mask the required link using indirect clues, implied generations, negations, or uncommon phrasing. They test your ability to read between the lines - spotting implied parents, in-law links, or deliberately omitted genders - and then convert those hints into the precise relationship.

This pattern is important because many high-quality reasoning questions use small linguistic twists to trap careless solvers. Learning this pattern reduces silly mistakes and improves speed.

Pattern: Hidden/Tricky Relationship

Pattern: Hidden/Tricky Relationship

The key idea: Convert implied or indirect statements into explicit family links (draw a micro-tree) and avoid assuming gender unless explicitly stated.

  • Statements that imply a relation via marriage (e.g., “wife’s brother” → in-law).
  • Negations or exclusives (“only son”, “only daughter”) that force identity.
  • Shortcuts like “X is the mother of Y’s sister” which hides generation steps.
  • Missing gender where a gender-neutral answer or DNT is required.

Step-by-Step Example

Question

D is the sister of B. B is the mother of A. C is the husband of D. How is C related to A?
(A) Uncle (B) Father-in-law (C) Brother (D) Cannot be determined

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode each statement.

    B is the mother of A → B is one generation above A. D is the sister of B → D is also one generation above A (B and D are siblings). C is the husband of D → C is married into B’s generation.

  2. Step 2: Draw the micro-family.

    Parents/generation: (B - sister D). Children: A is child of B. D’s husband = C → C is spouse of A’s maternal aunt.

  3. Step 3: Translate to standard relation.

    Spouse of one’s aunt = uncle (by marriage). So C is A’s uncle (specifically maternal uncle by marriage).

  4. Final Answer:

    Uncle → Option A.

  5. Quick Check:

    Aunt’s husband = uncle (by marriage) ✅

Quick Variations

1. “X is the mother of Y’s brother” → X is the mother of Y’s sibling → X is parent of Y (if same parent), often implies parent.

2. “A is the only son of B” → if B’s only son is A, phrases like “my father’s only son” may refer to the speaker themselves.

3. “Wife’s brother” vs “brother’s wife” - check order: one is in-law in speaker’s generation, the other is spouse of sibling.

4. If an option list contains gender-neutral term (Child, Parent, Sibling) prefer it unless gender is explicitly given.

Trick to Always Use

  • Step 1 → Reword each sentence into “X is Y of Z” plain English before drawing anything.
  • Step 2 → Draw a tiny family tree with generations on separate rows - even 3 boxes are enough.
  • Step 3 → Mark marital links with a dashed line and blood links with a solid line (helps avoid confusing aunt vs aunt-by-marriage).
  • Step 4 → If gender is not given but options are gendered, choose “Cannot be determined” or the neutral option if available.

Summary

  • Convert implied or indirect clues into explicit family links before solving.
  • Never assume gender unless explicitly stated.
  • Use small diagrams to visualize generation gaps and marital links.
  • Prefer neutral or DNT answers when gender ambiguity exists.

Example to remember:
“A is the sister of B. B is the mother of C. A’s husband is D. How is D related to C?” → Uncle (by marriage)

Practice

(1/5)
1. A is the father of B. B is the sister of C. D is the husband of C. How is D related to A?

(A) Son (B) Son-in-law (C) Brother-in-law (D) Uncle
easy
A. Son
B. Son-in-law
C. Brother-in-law
D. Uncle

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode facts.

    A → father of B and C. D → husband of C.

  2. Step 2: Build the relation.

    C is A’s daughter, and D is her husband → D is A’s son-in-law.

  3. Final Answer:

    Son-in-law → Option B.

  4. Quick Check:

    Daughter’s husband = son-in-law ✅
Hint: Daughter’s husband = son-in-law.
Common Mistakes: Choosing 'son' due to generational confusion.
2. B is the mother of C. D is the brother of B. E is the father of D. How is E related to C?

(A) Grandfather (B) Father (C) Uncle (D) Cannot be determined
easy
A. Grandfather
B. Father
C. Uncle
D. Cannot be determined

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode relations.

    B → mother of C; D → brother of B → E → father of D and B.

  2. Step 2: Connect generations.

    E → father of B → B → mother of C → E → grandfather of C.

  3. Final Answer:

    Grandfather → Option A.

  4. Quick Check:

    Mother’s father = grandfather ✅
Hint: Parent of a parent = grandparent.
Common Mistakes: Selecting 'father' instead of 'grandfather'.
3. M is the brother of N. N is the mother of O. P is the husband of N. How is P related to M?

(A) Brother (B) Brother-in-law (C) Uncle (D) Cousin
easy
A. Brother
B. Brother-in-law
C. Uncle
D. Cousin

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode the chain.

    M → brother of N; N → wife of P.

  2. Step 2: Link family.

    P → husband of N → P is brother-in-law of N’s brother (M).

  3. Final Answer:

    Brother-in-law → Option B.

  4. Quick Check:

    Husband of sister = brother-in-law ✅
Hint: Husband of sister = brother-in-law.
Common Mistakes: Selecting uncle instead of brother-in-law.
4. P is the son of Q. Q is the daughter of R. S is the husband of Q. How is S related to R?

(A) Son (B) Son-in-law (C) Brother (D) Father
medium
A. Son
B. Son-in-law
C. Brother
D. Father

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode relationships.

    P → son of Q; Q → daughter of R; S → husband of Q.

  2. Step 2: Connect chain.

    S is married to R’s daughter → S is R’s son-in-law.

  3. Final Answer:

    Son-in-law → Option B.

  4. Quick Check:

    Husband of daughter = son-in-law ✅
Hint: Husband of daughter = son-in-law.
Common Mistakes: Choosing son instead of son-in-law.
5. X said, “Y’s father is my father’s only son.” How is X related to Y?

(A) Father (B) Uncle (C) Brother (D) Cannot be determined
medium
A. Father
B. Uncle
C. Brother
D. Cannot be determined

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode the phrase.

    ‘My father’s only son’ denotes the sole male child of X’s father. This phrase can map to two different identities depending on X’s gender:

  2. Step 2: Consider cases.

    Case A - If X is male: then ‘my father’s only son’ = X himself → so “Y’s father = X” → X is Y’s father.
    Case B - If X is female: then ‘my father’s only son’ = X’s brother → so “Y’s father = X’s brother” → X would be the sister of Y’s father → X = Y’s aunt.

  3. Step 3: Conclude from ambiguity.

    Because X’s gender is not specified, the relation could be either Father (if X is male) or Aunt (if X is female). Neither (A), (B) nor (C) covers both possibilities uniquely.

  4. Final Answer:

    Cannot be determined → Option D.

  5. Quick Check:

    Ambiguity in who 'my father’s only son' refers to (speaker vs sibling) leads to multiple valid relations → choose DNT ✅
Hint: When 'only son' could point to the speaker or the speaker’s brother depending on speaker’s gender, the safe choice is 'Cannot be determined' if options force a single gendered relation.
Common Mistakes: Assuming the speaker is male and immediately selecting 'Father' without checking the female-speaker case.