Pointing towards a boy, Shalini said, “He is my daughter’s father’s wife’s father’s wife’s only son”. How is Shalini related to the boy?
Sister
Solving Blood Relation Puzzles
This question is a classic example of a blood relation puzzle. To solve it, we need to break down the given statement step-by-step to understand the relationship between Shalini and the boy.
Step-by-Step Analysis of the Relationship
Shalini says, “He is my daughter’s father’s wife’s father’s wife’s only son”. Let's analyze this phrase from Shalini's perspective:
- My daughter’s father: If Shalini has a daughter, her daughter's father must be Shalini's husband.
- My daughter’s father’s wife: This refers to the wife of Shalini's husband. Since Shalini is married to her husband, this person is Shalini herself.
- My daughter’s father’s wife’s father: This refers to the father of Shalini (from the previous step). So, this person is Shalini's father.
- My daughter’s father’s wife’s father’s wife: This refers to the wife of Shalini's father. This person is Shalini's mother.
- My daughter’s father’s wife’s father’s wife’s only son: This refers to the only son of Shalini's mother. Shalini and her mother's only son share the same parents (Shalini's mother and father). Therefore, her mother's only son is Shalini's brother.
Determining the Relationship
Based on the analysis, the boy is Shalini's mother's only son, which means the boy is Shalini's brother. The question asks how Shalini is related to the boy.
Since the boy is Shalini's brother, Shalini is the boy's sister.
Conclusion
The relationship chain leads to the conclusion that the boy is Shalini's brother. Therefore, Shalini is related to the boy as his sister.
Let's look at the options provided:
- Sister-in-law: This is the wife of one's sibling or the sister of one's spouse. This does not fit the relationship.
- Daughter: Shalini is an adult pointing towards a boy; she cannot be his daughter in this context.
- Daughter-in-law: This is the wife of one's son. This does not fit the relationship.
- Sister: This is a female sibling. This matches our conclusion.
The correct relationship is Sister.
| Phrase | Interpretation (from Shalini's perspective) |
|---|---|
| My daughter’s father | Shalini's Husband |
| ...’s wife | Shalini (Shalini's Husband's wife) |
| ...’s father | Shalini's Father (Shalini's father) |
| ...’s wife | Shalini's Mother (Shalini's Father's wife) |
| ...’s only son | Shalini's Brother (Shalini's Mother's only son) |
Revision Table: Key Relationship Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Sibling | Brother or sister |
| Cousin | Child of one's uncle or aunt |
| Niece | Daughter of one's sibling or sibling-in-law |
| Nephew | Son of one's sibling or sibling-in-law |
| Aunt | Sister of one's parent or wife of one's uncle |
| Uncle | Brother of one's parent or husband of one's aunt |
Additional Information on Blood Relation Puzzles
Blood relation questions test your ability to understand and decipher complex relationship chains. They are common in various competitive exams.
Tips for solving blood relation questions:
- Break down the statement into smaller, manageable steps.
- Start from the speaker's relationship to the first mentioned person (usually "my").
- Work through the chain systematically, identifying the person at each step.
- Draw a family tree or diagram if the relationships are complex.
- Pay attention to terms like "only son" or "only daughter" as they restrict possibilities.
- Double-check your steps to ensure accuracy.
Practice with different types of blood relation puzzles can help improve speed and accuracy in solving these problems.
Important Questions from General Blood Relation Problems
Pointing to a girl in a college poster, Deepika said, "She is my mother-in-law's only son’s niece". How is that girl's mother related to Deepika?
Pointing to the photograph of a girl, Raghav said, "She is my father's mother's daughter's only brother's daughter". How is Raghav's father related to that girl's mother?
Pointing towards a woman, Reena said, “She is the only daughter of my father-in-law.” How is the woman related to Reena?
Pointing towards Sumit, Anuj said, “He is my mother’s father’s son’s brother’s son”. If Vinita who is married to Kartik, is the mother of Anuj, then how is Vinita related to Sumit?
Introducing Reshma to a guest, a lady, Karishma, said, “She is the daughter of my father-in-law’s daughter”. How is Reshma related to Karishma?
