French word

beau-frère

Pronunciation

IPA/bofʁɛʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbrother-in-law

Example

Mon beau-frère vient dîner ce soir.

My brother-in-law is coming for dinner tonight.

Illustration for beau-frère (brother-in-law)

More examples

Hier, mon beau-frère m'a aidé à réparer la voiture.

Yesterday, my brother-in-law helped me fix the car.

Core concept

A marriage connects two families, placing one adult man in the role of a brother to the other family.

Common phrases

  • mon beau-frère

    my brother-in-law

  • son beau-frère

    his brother-in-law

Similar words

beau-père: The father of a person's spouse.
gendre: A man married to someone's child.
demi-frère: A brother who shares only one biological parent.
frère: A male sibling related by blood.

Definition in French

Personne considérée comme frère par alliance, par exemple le frère du/de la partenaire ou le mari de sa sœur.

Word origin

French formed beau-frère from beau used for an in-law relationship and frère, a word inherited from Latin frater.

Usage tips

  • Beau-frère covers both a partner's brother and a sister's husband, so the exact relationship often needs context or a following de phrase.

Word lists with this word