بھابھی
bhābhībrother's wife
Urdu has no single word for "sister-in-law" in Pakistan, and the word depends on who she is. A brother's wife is بھابھی (bhābhī), a husband's sister is نند (nand) and a wife's sister is سالی (sālī).
Meaning: sister of a spouse or wife of a brother (noun)
Ways to say it
| Pakistan | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بھابھی | bhābhī | brother's wife |
| نند | nand | husband's sister |
| سالی | sālī | wife's sister |
بھابھی (bhābhī) is also used by many people for a friend's wife, and it is warm and respectful. A wife speaks of her husband's sisters as نندیں (nandeṉ), the plural.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Other terms exist for the wife of a husband's brother, such as دیورانی (devrānī) or جیٹھانی (jeṭhānī), depending on whether the brother is younger or older than the husband.
Did you know?
- سالی (sālī) is the wife's sister, and she is often the subject of friendly teasing in Pakistani families.
Examples in context
- میری بھابھی بہت اچھا کھانا پکاتی ہیں۔merī bhābhī bohat achchā khānā pakātī haiṉ.My sister-in-law cooks very good food.
- میری نند کل آ رہی ہے۔merī nand kal ā rahī hai.My husband's sister is coming tomorrow.
- اس کی سالی کی شادی ہے۔us kī sālī kī shādī hai.His wife's sister is getting married.
Example conversation
Maria talks with her sister-in-law Sidra in the kitchen in Multan.
- Mariaبھابھی، چائے بناؤں؟bhābhī, chāy banāuṉ?Sister-in-law, shall I make tea?
- Sidraہاں، ضرور۔hāṉ, zarūr.Yes, certainly.
- Mariaنند بھی آ رہی ہیں۔nand bhī ā rahī haiṉ.My husband's sister is coming too.
