cuñada
everyday
Sister-in-law in Spanish is cuñada. It covers your spouse's sister and your brother's wife, and the male form is cuñado.
You say mi cuñada to introduce her. People use the word directly when speaking to her too, as in Hola, cuñada, in a friendly family way.
Meaning: spouse's sister or brother's wife (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Cuñada is feminine and cuñado is masculine. The plural for a mixed group is cuñados, so mis cuñados can mean both a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law.
How do you pronounce it?
The ñ sounds like "ny" in "canyon", so cuñada is close to "koo-NYAH-dah".
Did you know?
- In Spain the word cuñado is also used with a joking meaning for a know-it-all relative, as in el típico cuñado.
Examples in context
- Mi cuñada vive en Madrid.My sister-in-law lives in Madrid.
- Voy a cenar con mi cuñada.I am going to have dinner with my sister-in-law.
- Mis cuñados vienen el domingo.My in-laws are coming on Sunday.
Example conversation
Elena calls her brother-in-law's wife Clara to plan a family lunch.
- ElenaHola, cuñada. ¿Cómo estás?Hi, sister-in-law. How are you?
- ClaraBien, Elena. ¿Y tú?Good, Elena. And you?
- ElenaMuy bien. ¿Vienen el domingo a comer?Very well. Are you coming on Sunday for lunch?
