yenge
/ˈjeɲˌɟe/
The Turkish word for sister-in-law (the wife of one's brother) is yenge.
yenge is specifically used to refer to a brother's wife. Beyond this specific family relation, it is also commonly used as a friendly or informal way to address a slightly older woman in social settings.
Which one should you use?
While yenge refers to a brother's wife, the term gelin is used instead when referring to a daughter-in-law (a son's wife).
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'my sister-in-law', you add the possessive suffix -im to get yengem.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈjeɲˌɟe/. The /j/ sound is like the [y] in 'yes', the /ɲ/ sound is like the [ny] in 'canyon' and the /ɟ/ sound is like the [g] in 'argue'.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, which uses 'in-law' to denote a legal connection, the word yenge does not contain any linguistic reference to law or marriage contracts.
- The word yenge is a cognate with the Bashkir word еңгә, showing that this specific kinship term survived across vast geographic distances in Central Asia.
- While yenge refers to a brother's wife, Turkish has entirely different words for other 'sisters-in-law', such as the husband's sister or the wife's sister.
Examples in context
- Yengem çok güzel yemek yapar.My sister-in-law cooks very delicious food.
- Yeni yengeni tanımak için sabırsızlanıyorum.I am looking forward to meeting your new sister-in-law.
- Yengen bugün bize gelecek mi?Is your sister-in-law coming to see us today?
Example conversation
Selin and Can are talking about a family gathering over the phone.
- SelinCan, yengen de partiye gelecek mi?Can, is your sister-in-law coming to the party too?
- CanEvet, yengem bizimle birlikte gelecek.Yes, my sister-in-law is coming with us.
- SelinOnu görmeyi çok istiyorum.I really want to see her.
- CanO da seni göreceği için çok mutlu.She is also very happy to see you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry yenge, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries yenge, CC BY-SA 4.0.
