مادرشوهر
mâdar-šowhar/maː.dar.ʃaw.ˈhar/
The English phrase mother-in-law is translated into Persian as مادرشوهر (mâdar-šowhar). Wiktionary also lists مادرزن (mâdar-zan) and خشو (xošu).
Meaning: spouse's mother (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| مادرشوهر | mâdar-šowhar | /maː.dar.ʃaw.ˈhar/ (Classical Persian) |
| مادرزن | mâdar-zan | /maː.dar.ˈzan/ (Classical Persian) |
| خشو | xošu | [xʊ.ʃuː] (Dari, formal, narrow) |
Unlike English, Persian uses gender-specific compounds to distinguish whether the mother-in-law is the mother of the husband or the mother of the wife.
What does it mean word for word?
The term مادرشوهر is a compound of مادر (mother) and شوهر (husband). The term مادرزن is a compound of مادر (mother) and زن (wife).
Which one should you use?
مادرشوهر is used specifically by a wife to refer to her mother-in-law, whereas مادرزن is used by a husband to refer to his mother-in-law. The form خشو is also available.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some areas, it is customary to address a mother-in-law simply as مادر.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of مادرشوهر is /maː.dar.ʃaw.ˈhar/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The term خشو is an ancient word that descends from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'mother-in-law' and is a direct distant relative of the Sanskrit word श्वश्रू.
- In Persian culture, the relationship with a mother-in-law is so central to family dynamics that there are numerous folk idioms and jokes specifically targeting the tension between a خشو and her daughter-in-law.
- Despite the formal terms, many Iranians use the term جان (dear) as a suffix when speaking to their mother-in-law to soften the formality and show affection.
Examples in context
- مادرشوهر من بسیار مهربان است.mādarshohar-e man besyār mehrabān ast.My mother-in-law is very kind.
- امروز با مادرشوهر خود به بازار رفتم.emrouz bā mādarshohar-e khod be bāzār raftam.Today I went to the market with my mother-in-law.
Example conversation
Maryam and Amir are talking about family plans during a coffee break.
- مریم Maryamامیر، آیا فردا به دیدن مادرشوهرت می‌روی؟amir, āyā fardā be didan-e mādarshohar-at miravi?Amir, are you going to see your mother-in-law tomorrow?
- امیر Amirبله، باید به او سر بزنم.bale, bāyad be ou sar bezanam.Yes, I must visit her.
- مریم Maryamاو حتماً از دیدن تو خوشحال می‌شود.ou hatman az didan-e to khoshhāl mishavad.She will surely be happy to see you.
- امیر Amirممنون مریم، لطف داری.mamnun maryam, lotf dāri.Thanks Maryam, that's kind of you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother-in-law” translations and entries مادرشوهر, مادرزن, خشو, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خشو, CC BY-SA 4.0.
