ननद (nanad)

noun A kinship term: a husband's sister, one of the key figures in the traditional Hindi/Indian in-law network.
Sense 1 : husband's sister (sister-in-law)
noun, feminine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In the classic joint-family setup, a woman's relationship with her ननद (nanad) is a stock theme in Indian TV serials and family gossip -- often stereotyped as a tense or teasing dynamic, similar to the sister-in-law trope in English but with its own flavor, since the ननद (nanad) technically has a senior claim on the household as a 'daughter of the house' even after marriage. The related male term for husband's brother is देवर (devar) (younger) or जेठ (jeth) (older), and together these words map out the in-law universe that English collapses into 'brother/sister-in-law.'
Common Mistakes: 1) English 'sister-in-law' is ambiguous, but ननद (nanad) specifically means the husband's sister -- it is never used for a brother's wife (that is भाभी, bhaabhii) or a wife's sister (साली, saalii). 2) Learners sometimes confuse ननद (nanad) with नंद (nand, a name/word meaning joy or a cowherd clan name) because of the similar spelling -- they are unrelated.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी ननद कल घर आ रही है। My sister-in-law (husband's sister) is coming home tomorrow.
(merii nanad kal ghar aa rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी ननद हर बात में टांग अड़ाती है। Her sister-in-law meddles in everything.
(uskii nanad har baat men taang adaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शादी के बाद मेरी ननद से मेरी अच्छी बनती है। Since the marriage, I get along well with my sister-in-law.
(shaadii ke baad merii nanad se merii achchhii bantii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हारी ननद भी इस शादी में आएगी? Will your sister-in-law also come to this wedding?
(kyaa tumhaarii nanad bhii is shaadii men aaegii?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
ननद को मायके का पूरा हक है, ऐसा दादी हमेशा कहती थीं। The husband's sister has full right over her parental home, my grandmother used to always say.
(nanad ko maayke kaa pooraa hak hai, aisaa daadii hameshaa kahtii thiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर मेरी ननद इतनी समझदार होती, तो घर में झगड़े ही न होते। If my sister-in-law were so understanding, there wouldn't even be fights in the house.
(agar merii nanad itnii samajhdaar hotii, to ghar men jhagde hii n hote।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
सीरियल में हर बहू की ननद उसे परेशान करती दिखाई जाती है। In TV serials, every daughter-in-law's sister-in-law is shown troubling her.
(siiriyal men har bahoo kii nanad use pareshaan kartii dikhaaii jaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अपनी ननद का सम्मान करना हर बहू का फ़र्ज़ माना जाता है। Respecting one's husband's sister is considered every daughter-in-law's duty.
(apnii nanad kaa sammaan karnaa har bahoo kaa farz maanaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अपनी ननद से ज़्यादा बहस मत करो, माँ नाराज़ हो जाएंगी। Don't argue too much with your sister-in-law, mother will get upset.
(apnii nanad se zyaadaa bahas mat karo, maan naaraaz ho jaaengii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मुझे उम्मीद है कि मेरी ननद इस बार त्योहार पर ज़रूर आए। I hope my sister-in-law definitely comes for the festival this time.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki merii nanad is baar tyohaar par zaroor aae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): ननद (nanad)
(sg.f.oblique): ननद (nanad)
(pl.f.direct): ननदें (nanden)
(pl.f.oblique): ननदों (nandon)