Telugu in-law relationship terms
Marriage doesn't just join two people in Telugu families — it joins two families, and the language has a precise word for each new bond it creates. This guide covers the in-law terms: the relatives you gain through your own marriage, through your children's marriages, and the special words for families linked by marriage.
A quick note before the tables: because much of South India traditionally favoured cross-cousin marriage, several in-law words — బావ, వదిన, మరదలు — are the same words used for certain cousins. In those families an in-law was often already a relative. The honorific suffix -గారు (-gāru, “respected”) is commonly added when speaking to or about elder in-laws.
Your spouse's parents
| Telugu | Romanized | Who it means |
|---|---|---|
| మామగారు | māma-gāru | Father-in-law (husband's or wife's father) |
| అత్తగారు | atta-gāru | Mother-in-law (husband's or wife's mother) |
A wife's in-laws (the husband's family)
| Telugu | Romanized | Who it means |
|---|---|---|
| బావగారు / బావ | bāva-gāru | Husband's elder brother |
| మరిది | maridi | Husband's younger brother |
| ఆడపడుచు | āḍapaḍuchu | Husband's sister |
A husband's in-laws (the wife's family)
| Telugu | Romanized | Who it means |
|---|---|---|
| బావమరిది | bāva-maridi | Wife's brother |
| వదిన | vadina | Wife's elder sister |
| మరదలు | maradalu | Wife's younger sister |
In-laws through your children
| Telugu | Romanized | Who it means |
|---|---|---|
| అల్లుడు | alluḍu | Son-in-law (your daughter's husband) |
| కోడలు | kōḍalu | Daughter-in-law (your son's wife) |
Families joined by marriage
Telugu has lovely, specific words for the relationships between two families brought together by a wedding — bonds many languages can't name at all.
| Telugu | Romanized | Who it means |
|---|---|---|
| తోడల్లుడు | toda-alluḍu | Co-brother — a man whose wife is your wife's sister |
| తోడికోడలు | toḍi-kōḍalu | Co-sister — a woman whose husband is your husband's brother |
| వియ్యంకుడు | viyyankuḍu | The father of your child's spouse |
| వియ్యపురాలు | viyyapurālu | The mother of your child's spouse |
The bond between the two sets of parents — your family and the family your child married into — is called వియ్యం (viyyam), and the two households address each other with warmth and a good deal of ceremony.
A note on regional variation
In-law terms vary more than most across districts and communities, and many relatives are simply addressed by the warmer cousin-words (బావ, వదిన, అక్క, అన్నయ్య) rather than the formal in-law term. The words above are the most widely understood — but the surest guide is always how your own family uses them.
See in-law terms on your own family
Add your spouse's family to a Kinidhi tree and it works out the correct term for every in-law automatically — no need to remember which word goes with which relative.
Open the free tree maker →Frequently asked questions
What do you call father-in-law and mother-in-law in Telugu?
Your father-in-law is మామగారు (māma-gāru) and your mother-in-law is అత్తగారు (atta-gāru). The -గారు suffix is an honorific meaning “respected.”
What is the Telugu word for son-in-law and daughter-in-law?
Son-in-law is అల్లుడు (alluḍu) and daughter-in-law is కోడలు (kōḍalu).
What do you call your wife's brother in Telugu?
Your wife's brother is బావమరిది (bāva-maridi). Your wife's sister is వదిన if she is older, or మరదలు if younger.
What are co-brothers and co-sisters called in Telugu?
Men married to sisters are co-brothers — తోడల్లుళ్లు (toda-alluḷḷu). Women married to brothers are co-sisters — తోడికోడళ్లు (toḍi-kōḍaḷḷu).
What is వియ్యంకుడు (viyyankudu)?
వియ్యంకుడు is the father of your child's spouse, and వియ్యపురాలు the mother. The bond between the two families is called వియ్యం (viyyam).