A stepchild is the child your husband or wife already had before you married them — your stepdaughter or your stepson. The word is used from the parent's side looking down: you have a stepchild, and to that child you are a stepmother or stepfather. The plural is irregular: **stepchildren**, not "stepchilds".

A stepchild繼子女 is the child your husband or wife already had就是你先生或太太結婚前 before you married them已經有的小孩 your stepdaughter or your stepson也就是你的繼女或繼子 The word is used from the parent's side looking down這個詞是從家長的角度往下說的 you have a stepchild你有一個stepchild and to that child而對那個小孩來說 you are a stepmother or stepfather你就是繼母或繼父 The plural is irregular複數是不規則變化 stepchildren, not stepchilds是stepchildren不是stepchilds

Notice that the same relationship has two names depending on who is speaking. The adult says "my stepchild"; the young one says "my stepmother". English has no single word for the pair.

Notice that the same relationship注意同一種關係 has two names depending on who is speaking依講話的人不同會有兩個名稱 The adult says my stepchild大人會說我的stepchild the young one says my stepmother小孩則會說我的繼母 English has no single word for the pair英文沒有一個詞同時指這兩者

In real speech, people often avoid the word: many say "my daughter" or "my son" about a stepchild they raised, and keep "stepchild" for forms, wills, and explanations. It is a plain, neutral word in itself, though a family that feels close may find it cold.

In real speech在實際說話裡 people often avoid the word大家常常會避開這個詞 many say my daughter or my son很多人會直接說我女兒或我兒子 about a stepchild they raised來指自己養大的繼子女 and keep stepchild for forms, wills, and explanations把stepchild留給表格遺囑和說明用 It is a plain, neutral word in itself這個詞本身是中性平實的 though a family that feels close不過感情親密的家庭 may find it cold可能會覺得它冷冰冰的

There is also a figurative use you may meet in writing: something called the stepchild of an organisation is the part that gets ignored and given no money, while the favoured parts are looked after — "the library has long been the stepchild of the city budget". This use is a little sad and a little critical, and it borrows an old, unfair idea about how stepchildren were treated.

There is also a figurative use另外還有一個比喻用法 you may meet in writing你可能在文章裡碰到 something called the stepchild of an organisation被稱為某機構的stepchild的東西 is the part that gets ignored and given no money指的是被忽略拿不到錢的那部分 while the favoured parts are looked after而受寵的部分卻被好好照顧 the library has long been the stepchild of the city budget像圖書館長期以來都是市政預算的stepchild This use is a little sad and a little critical這種用法有點感傷也有點批評意味 and it borrows an old, unfair idea而且借用了一個古老不公平的觀念 about how stepchildren were treated也就是繼子女以前是怎麼被對待的