sister-in-law

See also: sister in law

English

Etymology

From Middle English suster-in-lawe; equivalent to sister +‎ -in-law.

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: sĭs'tər, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪs.tɚ.ɪn.lɔ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪs.tə.ɪn.lɔː/
• Hyphenation: sis‧ter‧in‧law

• Audio (CA)

  (file)

Noun

sister-in-law (plural sisters-in-law or (colloquial, nonstandard) sister-in-laws)

1. A female relative of one's generation, separated by one degree of marriage:
   1. The sister of one's spouse.

      Though they are not twins, my sister-in-law resembles my wife in almost every way.

   2. The wife of one's sibling.

      My sister-in-law and my brother both met while they were on vacation in Jamaica.

2. (less common) Co-sister-in-law: The wife of one's sibling-in-law.
   1. The wife of the sibling of one's spouse.
   2. The sister of the spouse of one's sibling.

Usage notes

The plural sister-in-laws is occasionally seen, especially in American English, but this is considered incorrect by most sources; see, for example, [1].

Synonyms

• bahu (India)
• Bhabhi (India, Pakistan, as a title)

Hyponyms

• Ah Soh (“elder brother’s wife”) (Singapore, slang)

Derived terms

• half sister-in-law
• co-sister-in-law

Related terms

• brother-in-law
• daughter-in-law
• father-in-law
• mother-in-law
• son-in-law

Translations

wife's sister

• Aklanon: hipag
• Albanian: kunatë (sq) f
• Arabic: أُخْت زَوْجَة f (ʔuḵt zawja), سِلْفَة f (silfa)
• Armenian: քենի (hy) (kʻeni)
• Asturian: cuñada (ast) f
• Azerbaijani: baldız (az)
• Bikol Central: hipag
• Bulgarian: балдъза (bg) f (baldǎza)
• Burmese: ခယ်မ (my) (hkaima.), မရီး (my) (ma.ri:)
• Catalan: cunyada (ca) f
• Cebuano: hipag (disused), bayaw, bayaw nga babaye (sa asawa)
• Chamicuro: pus̈hana
• Chinese:

  Hokkien: 大姨 (tōa-î) (wife's older sister), 姨仔 (î-á) (wife's younger sister)

  Mandarin: 大姨子 (zh) (dàyízi) (wife's older sister), 姨姐 (zh) (yíjiě) (wife's older sister), 小姨子 (zh) (xiǎoyízi) (wife's younger sister)

• Czech: švagrová (cs) f
• Danish: svigerinde (da) c
• Dutch: schoonzus (nl) f, schoonzuster (nl) f
• Esperanto: bofratino
• Estonian: käli (et)
• Finnish: käly (fi)
• French: belle-sœur (fr) f
• Friulian: cugnade f
• Galician: cuñada f
• Georgian: ცოლიდა (colida)
• German: Schwägerin (de) f

  Alemannic German: Geschwiie f

• Gooniyandi: garingi
• Guugu Yimidhirr: dyiiral; munamuna (avoidance)
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: mágkona (is) f
• Ido: bofratino (io)
• Ilocano: ipag
• Ingrian: nato
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Japanese: 義姉 (ja) (gishi) (older), 義妹 (ja) (gimai) (younger), 義理の姉 (giri no ane), 義理の妹 (giri no imōto)
• Kashmiri: سال (sāl)
• Korean: 형수 (ko) (hyeongsu), 계수 (ko) (gyesu), 시누이 (ko) (sinu'i), 올케 (ko) (olke), 처제 (ko) (cheoje), 처형 (ko) (cheohyeong), 동서 (ko) (dongseo)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ژنخوشک (jinxuşk)

  Northern Kurdish: diş (ku) f

• Latgalian: svaiņe
• Latin: glos f
• Latvian: svaine (lv)
• Lithuanian: svainė
• Luxembourgish: Schwéiesch f
• Manchu: ᠪᠠᡧᠠ (baša) (wife's younger sister), ᡴᡝᡴᡝ (keke) (wife's older sister)
• Mansaka: ipag
• Maori: auwahine (of a male)
• Maranao: ipag
• Murrinh-Patha: kartu purrima
• Mwani: wifi
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Northern Sami: sivjjot
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster f

• Occitan: conhada (oc) f
• Pashto: خوښینه f
• Pennsylvania German: Gschwei f
• Persian: خیازنه (xayâzne), خیاشنه (xayâšne)
• Polish: szwagierka (pl) f
• Portuguese: cunhada (pt) f
• Romanian: cumnată (ro) f
• Russian: неве́стка (ru) f (nevéstka), своя́ченица (ru) f (svojáčenica)
• Sardinian: connada f, connata f
• Scots: guid-sister
• Scottish Gaelic: piuthar-chèile f, piuthar-bhean f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: сваст f, свастика f

  Roman: svast (sh) f, svastika (sh) f, svakinja

• Seri: hicmajéete (wife's older sister); himaquéte (wife's younger sister)
• Sicilian: cugnata (scn) f
• Slovak: švagriná (sk) f
• Slovene: svakinja (sl) f
• Spanish: cuñada (es) f
• Swedish: svägerska (sv) c
• Tagalog: hipag (tl)
• Tamil: கொழுந்தி (ta) (koḻunti)
• Tarifit: tarwest f
• Turkish: baldız (tr)
• Vietnamese: chị vợ (wife's older sister), em vợ (wife's younger sister)
• Volapük: lüsör (vo)
• Walloon: bele-sour (wa) f
• Yindjibarndi: yarungu
• Zazaki: wayceni f

husband's sister

• Albanian: kunatë (sq) f
• Arabic: أُخْت زَوْج f (ʔuḵt zawj)
• Armenian: տալ (hy) (tal)
• Bikol Central: hipag
• Bulgarian: зълва (bg) f (zǎlva)
• Burmese: ယောက်မ (my) (yaukma.)
• Catalan: cunyada (ca) f
• Cebuano: hipag (disused), bayaw, bayaw nga babaye (sa bana)
• Chamicuro: pus̈hana
• Chinese:

  Hokkien: 大姑 (tōa-ko͘) (husband's older sister), 小姑 (sió-ko͘) (husband's younger sister)

  Mandarin: 大姑 (zh) (dàgū) (husband's older sister), 小姑 (zh) (xiǎogū) (husband's younger sister)

• Czech: švagrová (cs) f
• Danish: svigerinde (da) c
• Dutch: schoonzus (nl) f, schoonzuster (nl) f
• Erzya: кияло (kijalo)
• Esperanto: bofratino
• Estonian: nadu (et)
• Finnish: käly (fi), nato (fi) (archaic)
• French: belle-sœur (fr) f
• Georgian: მული (muli)
• German: Schwägerin (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: γάλως f (gálōs)

• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: mágkona (is) f
• Ilocano: ipag
• Ingrian: nato
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Javanese: ipé
• Kashmiri: زام (zām)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: دِش (diş)

  Northern Kurdish: diş (ku) f

• Latgalian: muoseica, veiramuosa
• Latin: glōs f
• Latvian: vīramāsa, māsīca
• Lithuanian: moša, vyro sesuo
• Luxembourgish: Schwéiesch f
• Malay: ipar
• Maori: taokete
• Mwani: wifi
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Northern Sami: mannji
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster f

• Old Javanese: ipe
• Oromo: sayyuu
• Pashto: اندرور (ps) f, ندرور f
• Polish: szwagierka (pl) f
• Portuguese: cunhada (pt) f
• Romanian: cumnată (ro) f
• Russian: неве́стка (ru) f (nevéstka), золо́вка (ru) f (zolóvka)
• Sanskrit: ननान्दृ (sa) f (nanāndṛ)
• Scots: guid-sister
• Scottish Gaelic: piuthar-chèile f, piuthar-fhear f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: заова f

  Roman: zaova (sh) f, šogorica (sh) f

• Seri: hiquéec
• Slovak: švagriná (sk) f, zolvica f (archaic)
• Slovene: svakinja (sl) f
• Spanish: cuñada (es) f
• Swedish: svägerska (sv) c
• Tagalog: hipag (tl)
• Tamil: மச்சினி (ta) (macciṉi)
• Turkish: görümce (tr)
• Vietnamese: chị chồng (husband's older sister), em chồng (husband's younger sister)
• Volapük: lüsör (vo)
• Walloon: bele-sour (wa) f
• Yindjibarndi: binthi
• Zazaki: gorım f

brother's wife

• Armenian: հարս (hy) (hars)
• Bashkir: килен (kilen) (younger brother's wife), еңгә (yeñgə) (elder brother's wife)
• Bengali: ভাবী (bn) (bhabi), ভাউজ (bn) (bhauj)
• Bikol Central: hipag
• Bulgarian: снаха (bg) f (snaha)
• Burmese: ယောက်မ (my) (yaukma.), မရီး (my) (ma.ri:), ခယ်မ (my) (hkaima.)
• Catalan: cunyada (ca) f
• Cebuano: hipag (disused), bayaw, bayaw nga babaye (sa igsoong lalaki)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 阿嫂 (aa³ sou²) (older brother's wife), 弟婦／弟妇 (dai⁶ fu⁵) (younger brother's wife), 阿妗 (aa³ kam⁵) (younger brother's wife)

  Hokkien: 阿嫂 (zh-min-nan) (a-só) (older brother's wife), 兄嫂 (hiaⁿ-só) (older brother's wife), 小嬸／小婶 (sió-chím) (younger brother's wife)

  Mandarin: 嫂子 (zh) (sǎozi) (older brother's wife), 弟媳 (zh) (dìxí) (younger brother's wife)

• Czech: švagrová (cs) f
• Danish: svigerinde (da) c
• Dutch: schoonzus (nl) f, schoonzuster (nl) f
• Esperanto: bofratino
• Estonian: käli (et)
• Finnish: käly (fi)
• French: belle-sœur (fr) f
• Georgian: ძმისცოლი (ʒmiscoli)
• German: Schwägerin (de) f
• Greek: νύφη (el) f (nýfi)

  Ancient: γάλως f (gálōs)

• Guugu Yimidhirr: guman.ga
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: mágkona (is) f
• Ilocano: ipag
• Ingrian: käly, minni
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Japanese: 兄嫁 (ja) (aniyome), 弟嫁 (otoyome)
• Kashmiri: بٔے کاکَنؠ (bạē kākan'), بٲے کاکَنؠ (bạ̄ē kākan')
• Korean: 제수 (ko) (jesu) (a man's younger brother's wife), 형수 (ko) (hyeongsu) (a man's older brother's wife), 올케 (ko) (olke) (woman's brother's wife), 새언니 (saeeonni) (woman's older brother's wife, lit. "new older sister")
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: بِراژِن (ckb) (birajin)

  Northern Kurdish: jinbira (ku) f

• Latgalian: mārša
• Latin: frātria f
• Latvian: mārša
• Lithuanian: brolienė
• Luxembourgish: Schwéiesch f
• Mongolian: бэргэн (mn) (bergen) (elder brother's wife), бэр (mn) (ber) (younger brother's wife)
• Navajo: hayé
• Nivkh: эмр (emr)
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster f

• Old English: brōþorwīf n
• Pashto: بابۍ (ps) f, ورېنداره f
• Paumarí: ʼananini f (woman's brother's wife)
• Pennsylvania German: Gschwei f
• Polish: bratowa (pl) f
• Portuguese: cunhada (pt) f
• Punjabi:

  Gurmukhi: ਭਰਜਾਈ f (bharjāī), ਭਾਬੀ f (bhābī)

  Shahmukhi: بَھرْجائی f (bharjā'ī), بھابی f (bhābī)

• Romanian: cumnată (ro) f
• Russian: неве́стка (ru) f (nevéstka)
• Scots: guid-sister
• Scottish Gaelic: bean-bhràthair f, piuthar-chèile f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: снаха f

  Roman: snaha (sh) f

• Seri: hicatazáta (man's older brother’s wife); hicmajéete (man's younger brother’s wife); hicóaac (woman's brother’s wife)
• Slovak: švagriná (sk) f
• Slovene: svakinja (sl) f
• Spanish: cuñada (es) f
• Swedish: svägerska (sv) c
• Tagalog: inso (elder brother's wife), hipag (tl)
• Tamil: அண்ணி (ta) (aṇṇi)
• Turkish: yenge (tr)
• Udi: вичечубух (vičečubuχ)
• Urdu: بھابی f (bhābī), بھوجائی f (bhojāī), بھاوَج (ur) f (bhāvaj)
• Vietnamese: chị dâu (older brother's wife), em dâu (vi) (younger brother's wife)
• Walloon: bele-sour (wa) f
• Yindjibarndi: binthi, yarungu
• Zazaki: bıraceni f

sister's wife

• Swedish: svägerska (sv) c

wife's brother's wife

• Armenian: հարս (hy) (hars)
• Bikol Central: bilas (bcl)
• Catalan: cunyada (ca) f
• Cebuano: bilas nga babaye (sa igsoong lalaki sa asawa)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 舅嫂 (zh) (jiùsǎo)

• Czech: švagrová (cs) f
• Dutch: schoonzus (nl) f, schoonzuster (nl) f
• Esperanto: bofratino
• Estonian: käli (et)
• Finnish: käly (fi)
• French: belle-sœur (fr) f
• German: Schwippschwägerin (de) f
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: svilkona (is) f
• Ilocano: abirat a babai
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Kashmiri: ۂہرٕ باے (hạhrụ bāy)
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Northern Sami: spile
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster f

• Pashto: یور f
• Portuguese: mulher/esposa do cunhado f, concunhada (pt) f, cunhada (pt) f
• Romanian: cumnată (ro) f
• Russian: неве́стка (ru) f (nevéstka)
• Scots: guid-sister
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: шурјакиња f

  Roman: šurjakinja (sh) f

• Spanish: cuñada (es) f
• Swedish: svägerska (sv) c
• Tagalog: bilas na babae
• Turkish: elti (tr)
• Udi: севичейчугьух (sevičejčuhuχ)
• Vietnamese: chị dâu (wife's older brother's wife), em dâu (vi) (wife's younger brother's wife)
• Zazaki: cêri f

husband's brother's wife

• Armenian: տագերակին (hy) (tagerakin)
• Bikol Central: bilas (bcl)
• Catalan: cunyada (ca) f
• Cebuano: bilas nga babaye (sa igsoong lalaki sa bana)
• Czech: švagrová (cs) f
• Dutch: schoonzus (nl) f, schoonzuster (nl) f
• Esperanto: bofratino
• Estonian: käli (et)
• Finnish: käly (fi)
• French: belle-sœur (fr) f
• German: Schwippschwägerin (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἐνάτηρ f (enátēr)

• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: svilkona (is) f
• Ilocano: abirat a babai
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Kashmiri: درٕٛے کاکَنؠ (drụٛē kākan')
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ھێوەرژِن (hêwerjin)

  Northern Kurdish: jintî (ku) f

• Latgalian: ītaļa
• Latvian: ietaļa
• Lithuanian: brolienė
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Northern Sami: gálojeatni
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster f

• Portuguese: mulher/esposa do cunhado f, concunhada (pt) f, cunhada (pt) f
• Romanian: cumnată (ro) f
• Russian: неве́стка (ru) f (nevéstka)
• Sanskrit: यातृ (sa) f (yātṛ)
• Scots: guid-sister
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: јетрва f

  Roman: jetrva (sh) f

• Seri: hilxcmaam
• Spanish: cuñada (es) f
• Swedish: svägerska (sv) c
• Tagalog: bilas na babae
• Tamil: அக்கா (ta) (akkā), தங்கை (ta) (taṅkai)
• Torres Strait Creole: neitawet (eastern dialect)
• Turkish: elti (tr)
• Vietnamese: chị dâu (husband's older brother's wife), em dâu (vi) (husband's younger brother's wife)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} ipar (id)
• Low German:

  Mennonite Plautdietsch: ^{(please verify)} Schwäjersche f

  New Low Saxon: ^{(please verify)} Swägerin f

• Romani: ^{(please verify)} bori f, ^{(please verify)} sali f
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} švagra f, ^{(please verify)} švagriná (sk) f
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} వదిన (te) (vadina), ^{(please verify)} మరదలు (te) (maradalu)