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Blood Relation Puzzle

Introduction

Blood Relation puzzles ask you to convert statements about family relationships into a family tree - then answer questions such as “How is X related to Y?” These puzzles train you to read relation chains (father/mother, son/daughter, husband/wife, brother/sister, etc.) and translate them into directional links.

This pattern is frequently tested in competitive exams (SBI PO, IBPS, SSC, CAT) because it examines logical chaining and careful reading of gender and generational cues.

Pattern: Blood Relation Puzzle

Pattern

Convert each relation statement into a node link in a family tree and follow the links step by step to find the required relationship.

  • Direction: Parent → Child (father/mother → son/daughter) moves down one generation; spouse links stay on the same generation.
  • Gender matters: Words like “son”, “daughter”, “husband”, “wife”, “mother”, “father” give explicit gender; use them to decide options like “son-in-law” vs “daughter-in-law”.
  • Siblings: Brothers/sisters share the same parents - use sibling clues to link people to the same parent pair.
  • Combine clues: Build a small tree (or write linear chain) and then read off the requested relation.

Step-by-Step Example

Question

P is the father of Q. Q is the mother of R. R is the brother of S. S is the daughter of T (T is male). How is T related to P?

Options:
A) Father-in-law    B) Son-in-law    C) Uncle    D) Grandfather

Solution

  1. Step 1: Translate P → Q

    P is the father of Q → Q is the child (daughter/son) of P. (Generation: P → Q)

  2. Step 2: Translate Q → R

    Q is the mother of R → R is Q’s child and thus P’s grandchild. (Chain: P → Q → R)

  3. Step 3: Use sibling relation R ↔ S

    R is the brother of S → R and S have the same parents (Q and T). So S is also a child of Q and T. (Thus Q and T are spouses/parents of R & S.)

  4. Step 4: Infer T’s relation to Q and P

    S is the daughter of T and child of Q → T is the spouse (husband, since T is male) of Q. Since Q is the child of P, T (Q’s husband) is P’s son-in-law.

  5. Final Answer:

    Son-in-law → Option B

  6. Quick Check:

    Q = child of P; T = spouse of Q; spouse of P’s child = son-in-law/daughter-in-law. T is male → son-in-law ✅

Quick Variations

1. Single-generation chains (parent → child → grandchild) where gender is unspecified - use neutral terms or add gender clues.

2. Sibling + spouse combinations (e.g., “A is brother of B; C is wife of B”) - combine sibling and spouse links carefully.

3. Mixed clues with in-laws (e.g., “X is son of Y; Z is husband of X”) - map spouse to determine in-law relations.

4. Multi-generation puzzles (grandfather/great-grandmother) - follow chains across generations stepwise.

Trick to Always Use

  • Step 1: Draw short arrows for direct parent → child links (P → Q), and mark spouse links with a horizontal line (Q - T).
  • Step 2: Label genders whenever given - this resolves “in-law” gender ambiguity immediately.
  • Step 3: Reduce the question to “what is the shortest path between two nodes?” - count generation steps and lateral spouse moves to name the relation.

Summary

Summary

  • Always convert each sentence into a small link (parent → child or spouse ↔ spouse) before combining clues.
  • Mark genders when given - this converts ambiguous in-law answers into definite son-in-law/daughter-in-law.
  • Siblings share parents; use this to place two people under same parent node.
  • To answer the question, trace the shortest path in the family graph and name the relation by generation and spouse moves.

Example to remember:
If Q is your child and T is Q’s spouse (male), then T is your son-in-law.

Practice

(1/5)
1. A is the brother of B. C is the father of A. D is the mother of B. How is C related to D?
easy
A. Brother
B. Husband
C. Father
D. Son

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify family links

    A and B are siblings (same parents).

  2. Step 2: Parental relationship

    C is father of A (and B). D is mother of B (and A).

  3. Step 3: Relation between C and D

    Since C is father and D is mother of the same children → they are spouses.

  4. Final Answer:

    Husband → Option B

  5. Quick Check:

    Father + Mother of same kids → husband and wife ✅
Hint: If both parents are given for same children → father ↔ mother implies husband-wife relationship.
Common Mistakes: Assuming father-son relation instead of husband-wife.
2. P is the son of Q. Q is the daughter of R. R is the father of S. How is S related to P?
easy
A. Aunt
B. Mother
C. Sister
D. Grandmother

Solution

  1. Step 1: Link R → Q

    R is the father of Q → Q is R’s daughter.

  2. Step 2: Link Q → P

    Q is the mother of P → P is Q’s son.

  3. Step 3: Relation of S

    R is also the father of S → Q and S are siblings → S is the sibling of P’s parent → S is P’s aunt (or uncle if male). Given options, the correct relation is aunt.

  4. Final Answer:

    Aunt → Option A

  5. Quick Check:

    R → (Q,S) → Q parent of P → sibling of parent = aunt/uncle ✅
Hint: Two children of the same parent are siblings - siblings of a parent are aunts/uncles to the child.
Common Mistakes: Confusing generation levels; S is same generation as Q, not parent/grandparent to P.
3. R is the mother of S. S is the father of T. T is the brother of U. How is R related to U?
medium
A. Mother
B. Aunt
C. Grandmother
D. Sister

Solution

  1. Step 1: Build family chain

    R is the mother of S → R → S.

  2. Step 2: Next generation

    S is the father of T → S → T.

  3. Step 3: Add sibling

    T and U are brothers → they share the same parents (S and spouse).

  4. Step 4: Find relation

    R is the parent of S (one generation above), and S is parent of U → R is the grandmother of U.

  5. Final Answer:

    Grandmother → Option C

  6. Quick Check:

    R → S → U (two-generation gap) → grandmother ✅
Hint: Count generational steps: two downward links = grandparent relation.
Common Mistakes: Stopping one generation early and calling 'mother' instead of 'grandmother'.
4. A’s father is B’s brother. B’s mother is C’s wife. How is C related to A?
medium
A. Uncle
B. Brother
C. Father
D. Grandfather

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode A’s father

    A’s father is B’s brother → A’s father and B are siblings → share the same parents.

  2. Step 2: Decode B’s mother

    B’s mother is C’s wife → C is the husband of B’s mother → C is the father of B (and B’s brother, A’s father).

  3. Step 3: Relation of C to A

    C is father of A’s father → thus C is A’s grandfather.

  4. Final Answer:

    Grandfather → Option D

  5. Quick Check:

    C → B (child) → A (grandchild) ✅
Hint: Trace through parents of siblings - the shared parent becomes a grandparent for the next generation.
Common Mistakes: Mixing up who is brother or father - always move one generation at a time.
5. M is married to N. N is the sister of O. O’s mother is P. How is P related to M?
medium
A. Mother-in-law
B. Sister
C. Aunt
D. Grandmother

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify marriage

    M married to N → N is M’s spouse.

  2. Step 2: Use sibling relation

    N and O are siblings → share parents.

  3. Step 3: Parent relation

    P is O’s mother → also N’s mother (since O and N are siblings).

  4. Step 4: Find relation of P to M

    P is the mother of M’s spouse (N) → thus M’s mother-in-law.

  5. Final Answer:

    Mother-in-law → Option A

  6. Quick Check:

    Parent of spouse = in-law ✅
Hint: Whenever you see 'spouse’s parent' → it’s an in-law relationship.
Common Mistakes: Incorrectly labeling P as mother instead of mother-in-law.

Mock Test

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