brother-in-law

See also: brother in law

English

Alternative forms

brother in law

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹʌðɚ ɪn ˌlɔ/
(cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹʌðɚ ɪn ˌlɑ/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹʌðəɹ ɪn ˌlɔː/
Audio (US) (file)

Noun

brother-in-law (plural brothers-in-law or (archaic) brethren-in-law)

A male relative of one's generation, separated by one degree of marriage:
1. The brother of one's spouse.
2. The husband of one's sibling.
(uncommon) Co-brother-in-law: A male relative of one's generation, separated by two degrees of marriage:
1. The husband of the sibling of one's spouse.
2. The brother of the spouse of one's sibling.

Quotations

1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part I, act 1, sc. 3,
We at our own charge shall ransom straight

His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer;

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

one's husband's brother

Albanian: kunat (sq) m
Arabic: شَقِيق زَوْج‎ m (šaqīq zawj) (husband), شَقِيق زَوْجَة‎ m (šaqīq zawja) (wife), سِلْف‎ m (silf)
Armenian: տագր (hy) (tagr)
Aromanian: cumnat m
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Azerbaijani: qayın (az)
Bulgarian: девер (bg) m (dever)
Burmese: ခဲအို (my) (hkai:ui), မတ် (my) (mat)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Cebuano: bayaw, bayaw nga lalaki (sa bana)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 大伯 (daai⁶ baak³) (husband's older brother), 叔仔 (suk¹ zai²) (husband's younger brother)

Mandarin: 大伯子 (zh) (dàbǎizi) (husband's elder brother), 小叔子 (zh) (xiǎoshūzi) (husband's younger brother)

Min Nan: 大伯 (zh-min-nan) (tōa-peh) (husband's older brother), 阿叔仔 (zh-min-nan) (a-chek-á) (husband's younger brother), 小叔 (sió-chek) (husband's younger brother), 細叔, 细叔 (sè-chek, sòe-chek) (husband's younger brother), 細叔仔, 细叔仔 (sè-chek-á, sòe-chek-á) (husband's younger brother), 細漢叔仔, 细汉叔仔 (sè-hàn-chek-á, sòe-hàn-chek-á) (husband's younger brother)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Dalmatian: comnut m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Erzya: парайде (parajde) (younger), альне (alʹne), какжаля (kakžalja) (older)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: küdi (et)
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi), kyty (fi) (archaic)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Friulian: cugnât m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: მაზლი (mazli)
German: Schwager (de) m, Schwäher (de) m (obsolete)
Greek: κουνιάδος (el) m (kouniádos)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís), יָבָם‎ (he) m (yavám) (esp. if husband died childless)
Hindi: देवर (hi) (devar) (younger brother), जेठ (hi) (jeth) (older brother)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Irish: deartháir céile m
Italian: cognato (it)
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (husband's elder brother); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (husband's younger brother); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (husband's elder and younger brothers); (お)義兄さん ((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (husband's elder brother) (colloquial); 小舅 (こじゅうと, kojūto) (husband's elder or younger brother)
Korean: (elder) 시숙 (ko) (媤叔, sisuk), 시아주버니 (ko) (媤아주버니, siajubeoni), (younger) 시동생 (ko) (媤同生, sidongsaeng)
Kurdish: tî‎ (ku) m (tî)
Latgalian: dīvers
Latin: levir m
Latvian: dieveris m

Lithuanian: dieveris m
Macedonian: девер m (dever)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Maori: taokete (of a male), autāne (of a female)
Middle English: brother-in-lawe
Mwani: nlamu
Norman: bieau-fréthe m0
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian:
Bokmål: svoger (no) m

Nynorsk: svoger m, verbror m
Occitan: conhat (oc), cunhat (oc) m
Old English: tācor m
Persian: هیور‎ (hivar) (dialectal)
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers, dziewierz (pl) m pers (obsolete)
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: де́верь (ru) m (déverʹ)
Sanskrit: देवर (sa) (devara), देवृ (sa) (devṛ)
Sardinian: connadu m, connatu m, connau m
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: девер m

Roman: dever (sh) m
Sicilian: cugnatu m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: bratš cłowjeka m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c
Tagalog: (literally) bayaw (tl) m
Taos: p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Turkish: kayın (tr)
Ukrainian: ді́вер (uk) m (díver)
Urdu: دیور‎ (devar), جیٹھ‎ (jeth)
Venetian: cugnà m, cugnado m, cognà (vec) m, cognado m
Vietnamese: anh chồng, em chồng (vi)
Vilamovian: śwöger m
Welsh: brawd yng nghyfraith (cy) m
Zazaki: vıstewre

one's wife's brother

Albanian: kunat (sq) m
Armenian: աներձագ (hy) (anerjag), աներորդի (hy) (anerordi)
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Azerbaijani: qayın (az)
Bulgarian: шурей (bg) m (šurej)
Burmese: ယောက်ဖ (my) (yaukhpa.)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Cebuano: bayaw, bayaw nga lalaki (sa asawa)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 大舅 (yue) (daai⁶ kau³) (wife's older brother), 舅仔 (yue) (kau³ zai²) (wife's younger brother)

Mandarin: 內兄 (zh), 内兄 (zh) (nèixiōng) (wife's older brother), 內弟 (zh), 内弟 (zh) (nèidì) (wife's younger brother), 大舅子 (zh) (dàjiùzi) (wife's older brother), 婦兄 (zh), 妇兄 (zh) (fùxiōng) (wife's older brother), 小舅子 (zh) (xiǎojiùzi) (wife's younger brother), 大舅 (zh) (dàjiù) (wife's older brother), 小舅 (xiǎojiù) (wife's younger brother), 婦弟 (zh), 妇弟 (zh) (fùdì) (wife's younger brother)

Min Nan: 妻舅 (chhe-kū), 舅仔 (kū-á), 大舅 (tōa-kū) (wife's older brother), 某舅 (bó͘-kū), 妻舅仔 (chhe-kū-á)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: nääl (et)
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: ცოლისძმა (colisʒma)
German: Schwager (de) m, Schwäher (de) (obsolete)
Greek: κουνιάδος (el) m (kouniádos)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís)
Hindi: साला (hi) (sālā)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Irish: deartháir céile m
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (wife's elder brother); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (wife's younger brother); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (wife's elder and younger brothers); (お)義兄さん ((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (wife's elder brother) (colloquial); 小舅 (こじゅうと, kojūto) (wife's elder or younger brother)
Korean: 처남 (ko) (妻男, cheonam)

Latgalian: svaiņs
Latvian: svainis m
Lithuanian: svainis
Macedonian: шура m (šura)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Middle English: brother-in-lawe
Mwani: nlamu
Norman: bieau-fréthe m
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian:
Bokmål: svoger (no) m

Nynorsk: svoger m, verbror m
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Russian: шу́рин (ru) m (šúrin)
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: шурак m, шура m

Roman: šurak (sh) m, šura (sh) m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: bratš žeński m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c
Tagalog: (literally) bayaw (tl) m
Taos: mą̀kupòpóna (elder), p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Turkish: kayın (tr)
Ukrainian: шу́рин m (šúryn)
Urdu: سالا‎ m (sālā)
Vietnamese: anh vợ, em vợ
Welsh: brawd yng nghyfraith (cy) m

one's sister's husband

Armenian: փեսա (hy) (pʿesa), քեռայր (hy) (kʿeṙayr)
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Bulgarian: зет (bg) m (zet)
Burmese: ခဲအို (my) (hkai:ui), မတ် (my) (mat), ယောက်ဖ (my) (yaukhpa.)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Cebuano: bayaw, bayaw nga lalaki (sa igsoong babaye)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 姐夫 (ze² fu¹) (older sister's husband), 妹夫 (mui⁶ fu¹) (younger sister's husband)

Mandarin: 姐夫 (zh) (jiěfu) (older sister's husband), 妹夫 (zh) (mèifu) (younger sister's husband), 姊夫 (zh) (zǐfū) (older sister's husband), 姊丈 (zh) (zǐzhàng) (older sister's husband), 妹倩 (zh) (mèiqiàn) (younger sister's husband), 妹婿 (mèixù) (younger sister's husband), 妹丈 (zh) (mèizhàng) (younger sister's husband)

Min Nan: 姊夫 (chí-po͘, chí-hu) (older sister's husband), 姊丈 (chí-tiǔⁿ) (older sister's husband), 妹婿 (bēr-saì, bē-saì, maī-saì, mōe-saì) (younger sister's husband)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Erzya: шичаля (šičalja) (younger sister's husband), эзналя (eznalja) (older sister's brother)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: õemees
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: სიძე (siʒe)
German: Schwager (de) m, Schwäher (de) m (obsolete)
Greek: γαμπρός (el) m (gamprós)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís)
Hindi: जीजा (hi) (jījā)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Irish: deartháir céile m
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (elder or younger sister's husband); (お)義兄さん ((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (elder sister's husband) (colloquial)
Korean: 매부 (ko) (妹夫, maebu, man's), 형부 (ko) (兄夫, hyeongbu, woman's elder's), 제부 (弟夫, jebu, woman's younger's)

Latvian: svainis m
Macedonian: зет m (zet)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Middle English: brother-in-lawe
Navajo: hayé
Norman: bieau-fréthe m
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian:
Bokmål: svoger (no) m

Nynorsk: svoger m, verbror m
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: зять (ru) m (zjatʹ)
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: зет m, свак m

Roman: zet (sh) m, svak (sh) m, šogor (sh) m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: sotśiny muski m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c
Tagalog: siyaho (elder sister's husband)
Taos: mą̀kupòpóna (from younger sister's marriage), p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Telugu: బావ (te) (bāva)
Turkish: enişte (tr)
Vietnamese: anh rể
Welsh: brawd yng nghyfraith (cy) m
Zazaki: ênışte

one's husband's sister's husband

Armenian: փեսա (hy) (pʿesa), բաջանաղ (hy) (baǰanał)
Bulgarian: зет (bg) m (zet)
Cebuano: bilas, bilas nga lalaki (sa igsoong babaye sa bana)
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
German: Schwippschwager (de) m
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís)
Icelandic: svili (is) m
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (husband's elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (husband's younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (husband's elder or younger sister's husband)
Korean: 시누 남편 (媤누 男便, sinu nampyeon), 시매부 (媤妹夫, simaebu)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar

Norman: bieau-fréthe m
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: concunhado (pt) m, cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: зять (ru) m (zjatʹ)
Scots: guid-brither
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: свак m

Roman: svak (sh) m
Spanish: concuñado (es) m
Turkish: elti (tr)
Zazaki: cêri

one's wife's sister's husband

Armenian: քենակալ (hy) (kʿenakal), բաջանաղ (hy) (baǰanał)
Azerbaijani: bacanaq (az)
Bulgarian: баджанак (bg) m (badžanak)
Cebuano: bilas, bilas nga lalaki (sa igsoong babaye sa asawa)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 姨夫 (zh) (yífū), 襟兄 (zh) (jīnxiōng) (wife's older sister's husband), 襟弟 (zh) (jīndì) (wife's younger sister's husband)
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: kälimees
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Georgian: ქვისლი (kvisli)
German: Schwippschwager (de) m
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís)
Icelandic: svili (is) m
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (wife's elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (wife's younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (wife's elder or younger sister's husband)

Korean: 동서 (ko) (同壻, dongseo)
Macedonian: баџанак m (badžanak), баџо m (badžo)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Norman: bieau-fréthe m
Northern Sami: spile
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: concunhado (pt) m, cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: своя́к (ru) m (svoják)
Scots: guid-brither
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: пашеног m, пашенац m, свак m, баџо m

Roman: pašenog (sh) m, pašanac (sh) m, svak (sh) m, badžo (sh) m
Spanish: concuñado (es) m
Turkish: bacanak (tr)
Zazaki: bacenağ

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

Indonesian: (either brother-in-law or sister-in-law) ^{(please verify)} ipar (id)
Italian: ^{(please verify)} cognato (it) m
Latin: ^{(please verify)} levir m, (genitive sg and nominative pl) ^{(please verify)} leviri, (genitive pl) ^{(please verify)} levirorum
Old English: ^{(please verify)} āþum m (sister’s husband)

Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ^{(please verify)} баџо m

Roman: ^{(please verify)} badžo (sh) m
Slovak: ^{(please verify)} švagor m

References

brother-in-law in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
“brother-in-law” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
“brother-in-law” in Microsoft's Encarta World English Dictionary, North American Edition (2007)
"brother-in-law" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)

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