sister-in-law

English

Etymology

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

Noun

sister-in-law (plural sisters-in-law)

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

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

• Albanian: kunatë (sq) f
• Arabic: أُخْت زَوْجَة f (ʔuḵt zawja), سِلْفَة f (silfa)

  Moroccan Arabic: نْسيبة f (nsiba)

• Armenian: քենի (hy) (kʻeni)
• Asturian: cuñada (ast) f
• 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:

  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)

  Min Nan: 大姨 (tōa-î) (wife's older sister), 姨仔 (î-á) (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, Schwäherin f (obsolete)

  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)
• 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)
• Korean: 형수 (ko) (hyeongsu), 계수 (ko) (gyesu), 시누이 (ko) (sinu'i), 올케 (ko) (olke), 처제 (ko) (cheoje), 처형 (ko) (cheohyeong), 동서 (ko) (dongseo)
• Latgalian: svaiņe
• Latvian: svaine
• Lithuanian: svainė
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Luxembourgish: Schwéiesch f
• Maori: taokete (of a female), auwahine (of a male)
• 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
• 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)
• Turkish: baldız (tr)
• Vietnamese: em vợ
• Volapük: lüsör (vo)
• Walloon: bele-sour (wa) f
• Yindjibarndi: yarungu

husband's sister

• Albanian: kunatë (sq) f
• Arabic: أُخْت زَوْج f (ʔuḵt zawj)

  Moroccan Arabic: لوساة f (lusa)

• Armenian: տալ (hy) (tal)
• Burmese: ယောက်မ (my) (yaukma.)
• Catalan: cunyada (ca) f
• Cebuano: hipag (disused), bayaw, bayaw nga babaye (sa bana)
• Chamicuro: pus̈hana
• Chinese:

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

  Min Nan: 大姑 (tōa-ko͘) (husband's older sister), 小姑 (sió-ko͘) (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, Schwäherin f (obsolete)
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: mágkona (is) f
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Latgalian: muoseica, veiramuosa
• Latin: glōs f
• Latvian: vīramāsa, māsīca
• Lithuanian: moša, vyro sesuo
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Luxembourgish: Schwéiesch f
• Mwani: wifi
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Northern Sami: mannji
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster 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
• Tamil: மச்சினி (ta) (macciṉi)
• Turkish: görümce (tr)
• Vietnamese: chị chồng, em chồng (vi)
• Volapük: lüsör (vo)
• Walloon: bele-sour (wa) f
• Yindjibarndi: binthi

brother's wife

• Arabic:

  Moroccan Arabic: مرْتْ خو f (mərt ḥu)

• Armenian: հարս (hy) (hars)
• Bashkir: килен (kilen) (younger brother's wife), еңгә (yeñgə) (elder brother's wife)
• 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), 弟妇 (dai⁶ fu⁵) (younger brother's wife), 阿妗 (aa³ kam⁵) (younger brother's wife)

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

  Min Nan: 阿嫂 (zh-min-nan) (a-só) (older brother's wife), 兄嫂 (hiaⁿ-só) (older brother's wife), 小嬸／小婶, 小婶 (sió-chím) (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, Schwäherin f (obsolete)
• Greek: νύφη (el) f (nýfi)
• Guugu Yimidhirr: guman.ga
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: mágkona (is) f
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Japanese: 兄嫁 (aniyome), 弟嫁 (otoyome)
• 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 (sae-eonni) (woman's older brother's wife, lit. "new older sister")
• Kurdish:

  Sorani:

• Latgalian: mārša
• Latin: frātria f
• Latvian: mārša
• Lithuanian: brolienė
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Luxembourgish: Schwéiesch f
• Mongolian: бэргэн (mn) (bergen) (elder brother's wife), бэр (mn) (ber) (younger brother's wife)
• Navajo: hayé
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: svigerinne (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: svigerinne f, versyster f, versøster f

• Old English: brōþorwīf n
• Paumarí: ʼananini f (woman's brother's wife)
• Polish: bratowa (pl) f
• Portuguese: cunhada (pt) f
• 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)
• Tamil: அண்ணி (ta) (aṇṇi)
• Turkish: yenge (tr)
• Vietnamese: chị dâu, em dâu (vi)
• Walloon: bele-sour (wa) f
• Westrobothnian:
• Yindjibarndi: binthi, yarungu

wife's brother's wife

• Armenian: հարս (hy) (hars)
• 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: Schwägerin (de) f, Schwäherin f (obsolete)
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: svilkona (is) f
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• Northern Sami: spile
• 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)
• Scots: guid-sister
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: шурјакиња f

  Roman: šurjakinja (sh) f

• Spanish: cuñada (es) f
• Swedish: svägerska (sv) c
• Turkish: elti (tr)

husband's brother's wife

• Armenian: տագերակին (hy) (tagerakin)
• 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: Schwägerin (de) f, Schwäherin f (obsolete)
• Hebrew: גִּיסָה f (gisá)
• Hungarian: sógornő (hu)
• Icelandic: svilkona (is) f
• Italian: cognata (it) f
• Latgalian: ītaļa
• Latvian: ietaļa
• Lithuanian: brolienė
• Norman: belle-soeu f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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)
• Scots: guid-sister
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: јетрва f

  Roman: jetrva (sh) f

• Seri: hilxcmaam
• Spanish: cuñada (es) f
• Swedish: svägerska (sv) c
• Tamil: அக்கா (ta) (akkā), தங்கை (ta) (taṅkai)
• Torres Strait Creole: neitawet (eastern dialect)
• Turkish: elti (tr)

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)
• (deprecated template usage) Low German:

  Mennonite Plauttdietsch: Schwäjersche f

  New Low Saxon: Swägerin f

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} švagra f, ^{(please verify)} švagriná (sk) f
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} వదిన (te) (vadina), ^{(please verify)} మరదలు (te) (maradalu)