teściowa
/tɛɕˈt͡ɕɔ.va/feminine
The Polish word for mother-in-law is teściowa. Wiktionary also lists świekra.
Meaning: spouse's mother (noun)
Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| teściowa | /tɛɕˈt͡ɕɔ.va/ | feminine |
| świekra | /ˈɕfjɛ.kra/ | feminine |
Both forms refer to a spouse's mother.
Which one should you use?
While teściowa is the standard term, świekra is a more colloquial or slightly derogatory way to refer to a mother-in-law.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on its role in a sentence. When the word is the direct object of a sentence, such as 'I see my mother-in-law' (Widzę moją teściową), it changes to teściową.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɛɕˈtɕɔ.va/. The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word świekra is much older than the standard teściowa, having survived from Old Polish as a linguistic relic.
- In traditional Polish rural culture, the relationship between a woman and her teściowa was historically viewed as a power struggle for control of the household.
- The word świekra is often used in Polish jokes and anecdotes to depict a stereotypical, overbearing mother-in-law, similar to how the 'monster-in-law' trope works in English.
Examples in context
- Moja teściowa jest bardzo miła.My mother-in-law is very kind.
- Czy twoja teściowa mieszka w Warszawie?Does your mother-in-law live in Warsaw?
- Przyjeżdża do nas teściowa.My mother-in-law is coming to visit us.
Example conversation
Anna and Tomasz are discussing their weekend plans.
- AnnaKiedy odwiedzimy twoją teściową?When will we visit your mother-in-law?
- TomaszMoże pojedziemy w tę sobotę.Maybe we can go this Saturday.
- AnnaDobrze, moja teściowa też chce nas zobaczyć.Good, my mother-in-law wants to see us too.
- TomaszTo będzie bardzo miły weekend.That will be a very nice weekend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother-in-law” translations and entries teściowa, świekra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
