Schwager
/ˈʃvaːɡər/
The German phrase for brother-in-law is Schwager.
Schwager refers to a person who is either the brother of one's spouse or the husband of one's sibling.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Schwager is Schwäger. To indicate possession, such as brother-in-law's, add an -s to the word to get Schwagers. In the accusative case, the form remains Schwager (e.g., einen Schwager). In the dative case, the word also remains Schwager, though it is preceded by the dative article dem (e.g., dem Schwager).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃvaːɡər/
Did you know?
- The word Schwager is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *swéḱuros, which originally meant 'husband's father'.
- In some German dialects, the female version Schwägerin can refer to the sister of one's spouse as well as a sibling's wife.
- Despite the phonetic similarity, the German word Schwager has absolutely no etymological connection to the English slang term 'swag'.
Examples in context
- Ist dieser Schwager der Mann Ihrer Schwester oder der Bruder Ihrer Frau?Is this brother-in-law your sister’s husband or your wife’s brother?This sentence is useful for asking whether a Schwager is a sister's husband or a wife's brother.
- Ich möchte meinen Schwager besuchen.I want to visit my brother-in-law.
- Mein Schwager kommt heute zu Besuch.My brother-in-law is coming to visit today.
- Ich gehe mit dem Bruder meines Ehemannes ins Kino.I'm going to the cinema with the brother of my husband.
- Hast du deinen Schwager schon getroffen?Have you met your brother-in-law yet?
Example conversation
Hannah and Julian are talking about family members during a coffee break.
- HannahWie heißt dein Schwager eigentlich?What is your brother-in-law's name, actually?
- JulianEr heißt Lukas.His name is Lukas.
- HannahIst er ein netter Mann?Is he a nice man?
- JulianJa, er ist sehr sympathisch.Yes, he is very likable.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Schwager, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Schwager, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
