svekrva
/sʋêkr̩ʋa/Latin, feminine
In Serbian, 'mother-in-law' is translated as svekrva or tašta. Wiktionary also lists свекрва (svȅkrva) and ташта (tȁšta).
Meaning: spouse's mother (noun)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| svekrva | /sʋêkr̩ʋa/ | Latin, feminine | |
| свекрва | svȅkrva | /sʋêkr̩ʋa/ | Cyrillic, feminine |
| ташта | tȁšta | /tâʃta/ | Cyrillic, feminine |
| tašta | /tâʃta/ | Latin, feminine |
The term refers to the mother of one's spouse.
Which one should you use?
svekrva specifically refers to the mother of a husband.
How do you pronounce it?
/sʋêkr̩ʋa/
Did you know?
- In traditional Serbian folk songs and poetry, the свекрва is often depicted as a strict matriarch who controls the household's keys.
- Unlike English where 'law' appears in 'mother-in-law' the Serbian terms свекрва and ташта have no connection to legal terminology.
- In traditional Serbian culture the relationship between a daughter-in-law and her свекрва was historically seen as a primary source of household tension.
Examples in context
- Moja svekrva je veoma ljubazna.My mother-in-law is very kind.
- Svekrva dolazi sutra u posetu.My mother-in-law is visiting tomorrow.
Example conversation
Marija and Nikola are discussing family plans for the weekend.
- MarijaDa li tvoja svekrva dolazi na ručak?Is your mother-in-law coming for lunch?
- NikolaDa, moja svekrva dolazi u dva sata.Yes, my mother-in-law is coming at two o'clock.
- MarijaŠta ćemo joj pripremiti za jelo?What shall we prepare for her to eat?
- NikolaOna voli tvoj domaći kolač.She loves your homemade cake.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother-in-law” translations and entries svekrva, свекрва, ташта, tašta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
