What it means
زنبرادر (zan-barâdar) literally means “brother’s woman” or “brother’s wife” and refers to your sister-in-law through your brother. Both words are pure Persian: zan (woman, wife) and barâdar (brother). Just as Persian splits brother-in-law into precise terms depending on the line of relation, it does the same for sister-in-law. زنبرادر is specific to your own brother’s wife, not the husband of your sister (that is شوهرخواهر). The term is colloquial and common in spoken Persian but may appear in writing as well.
How to use it
- زنبرادرم امروز به مهمونی اومد. (Zan-barâdaram emruz be mehmuni umad.) “My brother’s wife came to the party today.”
- زنبرادرت خیلی مهربونه. (Zan-barâdarat kheyli mehrbune.) “Your brother’s wife is very kind.”
- با زنبرادرم خیلی خوب کنار میام. (Bâ zan-barâdaram kheyli khub kenâr miyam.) “I get along really well with my brother’s wife.”
- زنبرادرم داره بچهشو بزرگ میکنه. (Zan-barâdaram dâre bache-sho bozorg mi-kone.) “My brother’s wife is raising her child.”
Cultural note
In Iranian households, the relationship between a woman and her زنبرادر can be one of the closer bonds in the extended family, as the two women often share the same family gatherings and may spend significant time together during holidays and celebrations. However, it can also be a source of social tension in joint households, a theme that appears frequently in Persian literature and television dramas.