German word

Schwager

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃvaːgɐ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbrother-in-law

Example

Mein Schwager kommt morgen.

My brother-in-law is coming tomorrow.

Illustration for Schwager (brother-in-law)

More examples

Ich gehe morgen mit meinem Schwager ins Kino.

I am going to the cinema tomorrow with my brother-in-law.

Core concept

A man joined to a family through marriage, either as a spouse's brother or as the husband of a sibling.

Common phrases

  • mit meinem Schwager

    with my brother-in-law

  • der Schwager meiner Frau

    my wife's brother-in-law

Similar words

Schwiegervater: The father of a spouse.
Schwiegermutter: The mother of a spouse.
Schwägerin: A female relative by marriage who is a spouse's sister or a sibling's wife.
Schwiegertochter: The wife of one's son or daughter.

Definition in German

Ein durch Heirat verwandter Mann, zum Beispiel der Bruder des Ehepartners oder der Ehemann der eigenen Schwester.

Word origin

Schwager is an inherited Germanic kinship word, recorded as Old High German swāgur and later as Middle High German swāger before reaching the modern form.

Usage tips

  • The plural of Schwager is die Schwäger, with an umlaut rather than an added plural ending.

Related words

  • Schwägerinsister-in-lawnoun

Word lists with this word