What it means
شوهرخواهر (shohar-khâhar) literally means “sister’s husband” and is the everyday colloquial term for a brother-in-law through your sister’s side. It is built from two pure Persian words: shohar (husband) and khâhar (sister). Persian distinguishes in-law relationships more precisely than English, so this term is specific to the sister’s husband rather than being a general label.
How to use it
- شوهرخواهرم تو شرکت کار میکنه. (Shohar-khâharam tu sherkat kâr mi-kone.) “My sister’s husband works at the company.”
- دیروز با شوهرخواهرم رفتیم بیرون. (Diruz bâ shohar-khâharam raftim birun.) “Yesterday I went out with my sister’s husband.”
- شوهرخواهرت چه کارهست؟ (Shohar-khâharat che kâre-st?) “What does your sister’s husband do for work?”
- شوهرخواهرم خیلی آدم خوبیه. (Shohar-khâharam kheyli âdam khubi-ye.) “My sister’s husband is a really good person.”
Cultural note
Iranian family vocabulary is notably granular, assigning distinct words to every in-law relationship rather than using a single catch-all term like brother-in-law. This reflects the cultural importance of knowing exactly how someone fits into the family tree. A شوهرخواهر is part of the extended family circle and is typically included in family gatherings and celebrations, though he is categorized separately from a برادر (barâdar, blood brother) in terms of closeness and obligation.