der Schwiegervater
father-in-law
The father of one's spouse or partner.
EXAMPLE
Mein Schwiegervater kommt am Wochenende zu Besuch.
My father-in-law is coming to visit this weekend.
der Schwiegervater
father-in-law
der Schwiegervater, die Schwiegerväter
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Schwiegervater, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Schwiegerväter |
| genitive | des Schwiegervaters |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Schwiegervater | die Schwiegerväter |
| accusative | den Schwiegervater | die Schwiegerväter |
| dative | dem Schwiegervater | den Schwiegervätern |
| genitive | des Schwiegervaters | der Schwiegerväter |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word consists of the prefix 'Schwieger-' and the base word 'vater' (father). The prefix 'Schwieger-' always refers to a family relationship created by marriage.
EXAMPLE
Seit der Hochzeit meiner Tochter ist er mein Schwiegervater.
Since my daughter's wedding, he has been my father-in-law.
Word family
The component 'Schwieger-' is used for all family members by marriage. If you know this pattern, you will also understand 'Schwiegermutter' (mother-in-law), 'Schwiegersohn' (son-in-law), and 'Schwiegereltern' (parents-in-law).
EXAMPLE
Meine Schwiegereltern sind die Eltern meiner Frau.
My parents-in-law are my wife's parents.
Use with possessive articles
Since it always concerns a relationship to a person, 'Schwiegervater' (father-in-law) is almost always used with a possessive article such as 'mein' (my), 'dein' (your), or 'ihr' (her/their).
EXAMPLE
Wie verstehst du dich mit deinem Schwiegervater?
How do you get along with your father-in-law?
Ihr Schwiegervater hat früher als Arzt gearbeitet.
Her father-in-law used to work as a doctor.
In real life
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