French word

belle-sœur

Pronunciation

IPA/bɛlsœʁ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounsister-in-law

Example

Ma belle-sœur habite près de chez nous.

My sister-in-law lives near us.

Illustration for belle-sœur (sister-in-law)

More examples

Je vais inviter ma belle-sœur ce soir.

I am going to invite my sister-in-law tonight.

Core concept

A woman connected to the family through a spouse or a sibling's marriage.

Common phrases

  • parler à sa belle-sœur

    talk to one's sister-in-law

  • inviter ma belle-sœur

    invite my sister-in-law

Similar words

beau-frère: A brother-in-law related through marriage rather than blood.
sœur: A female sibling who shares the same parents.
belle-mère: A mother-in-law related through marriage.
beau-père: A father-in-law related through marriage.

Definition in French

Désigne la sœur du conjoint ou la femme d'un frère/une sœur, considérée comme membre de la famille par alliance.

Word origin

The compound joins belle, the feminine form of beau, with sœur, which comes from Latin soror through Old French.

Usage tips

  • The feminine noun takes the article and possessive forms une and ma, while the masculine counterpart is beau-frère.

Word lists with this word