sister-in-law

See also: sister in law

English

Etymology

Inherited 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 (Canada):

  (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, the Web Site of Professor Paul Brians: [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)
• Bhojpuri: साली (sālī)
• 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
• Greek: κουνιάδα (el) f (kouniáda)
• Gujarati: સાળી f (sāḷī)
• Guugu Yimidhirr: dyiiral; munamuna (avoidance)
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hindi: साली (hi) f (sālī)
• 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: 처제(妻弟) (ko) (cheoje) (wife's younger sister), 처형(妻兄) (ko) (cheohyeong) (wife's older sister)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ژنخوشک (jinxuşk)

  Northern Kurdish: diş (ku) f

• Latgalian: svaiņe
• Latin: glōs f
• Latvian: svaine (lv) f
• Lithuanian: sváinė f
• Luxembourgish: Schwéiesch f
• Malay: kakak ipar (wife's elder sister-in-law)​,​ adik ipar​ (wife's younger sister-in-law)​
• 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)
• Urdu: سالی f (sālī)
• 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: κουνιάδα (el) f (kouniáda)

  Ancient: γάλως f (gálōs)

• Gujarati: નણંદ f (naṇand)
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hindi: ननद (hi) (nanad)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: mágkona (is) f
• Ilocano: ipag
• Ingrian: nato
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Javanese: ipé
• Kashmiri: زام (zām)
• Korean: 시누이 (ko) (sinu'i), 형님 (ko) (hyeongnim) (husband's older sister, face-to-face), 아가씨 (ko) (agassi) (husband's younger sister, face-to-face)
• 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: kakak ipar (husband's older sister),​ adik ipar ​(husband's younger sister), ​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)
• Urdu: نَنْد f (nand), نَنَد f (nanad) (chiefly India), نَنَنْد f (nanand)
• 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)

• Gujarati: ભાભી f (bhābhī)
• Guugu Yimidhirr: guman.ga
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hindi: भाभी (hi) f (bhābhī) (elder brother's wife), देवरानी (hi) f (devrānī) (younger brothers wife)
• 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(弟嫂) (ko) (jesu) (a man's younger brother's wife), 계수(季嫂) (ko) (gyesu) (a man's younger brother's wife), 형수(兄嫂) (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 uxor frātris f
• Latvian: mārša
• Lithuanian: brolienė
• Luxembourgish: Schwéiesch f
• Malay: kakak ipar (older brother's wife),​ adik ipar ​(younger brother's wife)
• 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 Church Slavonic: ѩтрꙑ f (jętry)
• Old English: brōþorwīf n
• Pannonian Rusyn: андя f (andja)
• 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), بھاوَج (ur) f (bhāvaj), بھوجائی f (bhojāī)
• 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
• Gujarati: સાળેલી f (sāḷelī)
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hindi: सलहज (hi) f (salhaj)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: svilkona (is) f
• Ilocano: abirat a babai
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Kashmiri: ۂہرٕ باے (hạhrụ bāy)
• Korean: 처남댁 (ko) (cheonamdaek)
• Malay: biras​
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Northern Sami: spile
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster f

• Pannonian Rusyn: андя f (andja)
• Pashto: یور f
• Portuguese: esposa do cunhado f, mulher 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)
• Urdu: سَلْہَج f (salhaj), سالے کی بِیوِی f (sāle kī bīvī) (literally)
• 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: συννυφάδα (el) f (synnyfáda)

  Ancient: ἐνάτηρ f (enátēr)

• Gujarati: જેઠાણી f (jeṭhāṇī) (elder brother's wife), દેરાણી f (derāṇī) (younger brother's wife)
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hindi: जेठानी (hi) f (jeṭhānī) (elder brother's wife), देवरानी (hi) f (devrānī) (younger brother's wife)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: svilkona (is) f
• Ilocano: abirat a babai
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Kashmiri: درٕٛے کاکَنؠ
• Korean: 동서 (ko) (dongseo)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ھێوەرژِن (hêwerjin)

  Northern Kurdish: jintî (ku) f

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

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster f

• Portuguese: esposa do cunhado f, mulher 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)
• Urdu: دیوْرَانی f (devrānī) (younger brother), جِٹھانی f (jiṭhānī) (older brother), جیٹھانی f (jeṭhānī)
• 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)