die Schwägerin
sister-in-law
The sister of one's husband or wife.
EXAMPLE
Meine Schwägerin, die Schwester meines Mannes, kommt am Wochenende zu Besuch.
My sister-in-law, my husband's sister, is coming to visit this weekend.
die Schwägerin
sister-in-law
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Meanings
die Schwägerin
sister-in-law
The wife of one's own brother.
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder und seine Frau, also meine Schwägerin, haben gerade ein Haus gekauft.
My brother and his wife, that is, my sister-in-law, have just bought a house.
Usage tips
Usage and clarification
Since the word can describe two different family relationships, Germans often add an explanation in conversation to avoid misunderstandings. For example, say 'meine Schwägerin, die Frau meines Bruders' (my sister-in-law, my brother's wife).
EXAMPLE
Ich fahre am Wochenende zu meiner Schwägerin, der Schwester meiner Frau.
I'm driving to my sister-in-law's this weekend, my wife's sister.
Reciprocal relationship
The relationship is reciprocal. If your brother's wife is your 'Schwägerin' (sister-in-law), then you are also her 'Schwägerin' (sister-in-law) if you are a woman, or her 'Schwager' (brother-in-law) if you are a man.
EXAMPLE
Meine Frau und ihre Schwester sind Schwägerinnen.
My wife and her sister are sisters-in-law.
Sentence structure and usage
Since 'Schwägerin' (sister-in-law) describes a personal relationship, the word is almost always used with a possessive pronoun such as 'meine' (my), 'deine' (your), or 'seine' (his).
EXAMPLE
Meine Schwägerin ist eine sehr gute Freundin von mir geworden.
My sister-in-law has become a very good friend of mine.
In real life
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