Definition
小姑子 is a colloquial term used by a wife to refer to her husband's younger sister. The 小 indicates 'younger', distinguishing her from 大姑子 (husband's older sister). Unlike the English 'sister-in-law', which also covers a brother's wife or a spouse's sister, 小姑子 is very specific: it only applies to one exact relationship. You hear it in everyday family talk but less often in formal writing.
n.
husband's younger sister (colloquial)sister-in-law (specifically, the husband's younger sister)
Examples
- 小姑子。Wǒ de xiǎo gū zǐ jīnnián jiéhūn le.My husband's younger sister got married this year.
- 小姑子,。xiǎo gū zǐ duì wǒ hěn hǎo, jiù xiàng qīn mèimei yíyàng.My husband's younger sister is very kind to me, just like my own little sister.
- 小姑子。Wǒ pópo hé xiǎo gū zǐ yìqǐ lái kàn wǒmen.My mother-in-law and my husband's younger sister came to see us together.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.