suocera
/ˈswɔ.t͡ʃe.ra/feminine
The Italian word for mother-in-law is suocera.
suocera is the most common term used in Italian to describe one's mother-in-law.
Meaning: spouse's mother (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of suocera is suocere.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable. The IPA is /ˈswɔ.tʃe.ra/.
Did you know?
- The term suocera is frequently used in Italian jokes and stereotypes to depict a domineering or intrusive woman, mirroring a common trope in many Mediterranean cultures.
- The word suocera comes from the Latin socera, which was a variant of socrus.
- While suocera is the formal term, some Italians might refer to her as la mamma out of affection or tradition, blurring the line between the spouse's mother and their own.
Examples in context
- la mia suoceraMy mother-in-law
- Mi piace molto la mia suocera.I like my mother-in-law very much.
- La suocera di Marco cucina bene.Marco's mother-in-law cooks well.
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are discussing family plans for the weekend.
- ChiaraQuando arriva tua suocera a trovarci?When is your mother-in-law coming to visit us?
- FrancescoViene sabato mattina con il treno.She is coming Saturday morning by train.
- ChiaraPrepariamo qualcosa di speciale per lei.Let's prepare something special for her.
- FrancescoSì, a mia suocera piace molto il pesce.Yes, my mother-in-law likes fish very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother-in-law” translations and entries suocera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries suocera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
