kaynana
/kajnana/from spelling rules
The Turkish phrase for mother-in-law is kaynana. Wiktionary also lists kayınvalide and hanımanne.
Meaning: spouse's mother (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| kaynana | /kajnana/ (from spelling rules) |
| kayınvalide | /kajɯnvalide/ (from spelling rules) |
| hanımanne | /hanɯmanne/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrase is used to refer to the mother of one's spouse. The root word kayın is used in Turkish to denote relationships through marriage, such as in the word for brother-in-law, kayınbirader.
What does it mean word for word?
The term kayınvalide is a compound of kayın, which relates to in-laws and valide, meaning mother.
Which one should you use?
While both terms refer to a mother-in-law, kaynana is the colloquial and potentially less respectful way to refer to her, whereas kayınvalide is the formal term.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'his/her mother-in-law', you add the third-person possessive suffix to kaynana, resulting in kaynanası.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kajnana/. The sounds are similar to the [c] in core, the [y] in yes and the [n] in not.
Did you know?
- The word kayın originally referred to 'elm tree' in ancient Turkic contexts, which is a linguistic oddity compared to its modern marriage-related meaning.
- Turkish has a specific word for 'daughter-in-law', gelin, which literally translates to 'bride', meaning the woman remains a 'bride' in the family's eyes long after the wedding.
- In some Turkish folk songs and stories, a kaynana is often portrayed as a humorous or even antagonistic figure who creates tension within a household.
Examples in context
- Kaynana bugün bize gelecek.My mother-in-law is coming to us today.
- Kaynanam çok güzel yemek yapar.My mother-in-law cooks very delicious food.
Example conversation
Emre and Selin are talking about a family visit.
- EmreSelin, kaynana ne zaman geliyor?Selin, when is your mother-in-law coming?
- SelinYarın sabah burada olacak.She will be here tomorrow morning.
- EmreOna en sevdiği pastayı alalım.Let's buy her favorite cake.
- SelinBu fikir harika, çok sevinir.That's a great idea, she will be very happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother-in-law” translations and entries kaynana, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
