ساس
sās/sɑːs/feminine
The Urdu word for mother-in-law is ساس (sās).
ساس refers to the mother of one's spouse. This term is used generally to describe both the mother of a husband and the mother of a wife.
Meaning: spouse's mother (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term ساسو is used in some regions, especially India.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /sɑːs/ (sās).
Did you know?
- In many South Asian cultures, referring to your ساس by her actual name is considered highly disrespectful and is avoided in polite conversation.
- In Urdu pop culture and folk stories, the ساس is often portrayed as a stereotypical antagonist or a strict disciplinarian toward her daughter-in-law.
- The word ساس is inherited from Middle Hindi, which came from Sauraseni Prakrit and eventually from the Sanskrit word śvaśrū́.
Examples in context
- میری ساس بہت مہربان ہیں۔meri saas bohat meharban hain.My mother-in-law is very kind.
- میں اپنی ساس کے لیے تحفہ لایا ہوں۔mein apni saas ke liye tohfa laya hoon.I brought a gift for my mother-in-law.
Example conversation
Zainab and Ali are talking about their family visit.
- زینب Zainabعلی، کیا آپ کی ساس آ رہی ہیں؟Ali, kya aap ki saas aa rahi hain?Ali, is your mother-in-law coming?
- علی Aliجی ہاں، وہ کل پہنچیں گی۔Ji haan, woh kal pohunchein gi.Yes, she will arrive tomorrow.
- زینب Zainabیہ تو بہت اچھی بات ہے۔Yeh toh bohat achi baat hai.That is a very good thing.
- علی Aliشکریہ، زینب۔Shukriya, Zainab.Thank you, Zainab.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother-in-law” translations and entries ساس, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ساس, CC BY-SA 4.0.
