देवर (devar)
noun
A kinship term: a husband's younger brother. It carries real cultural weight in Hindi-speaking family life, well beyond its plain dictionary meaning.
Sense
1
:
husband's younger brother
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In North Indian family life, the relationship between a woman and her देवर (devar) is traditionally one of the warmest and most playful in the household -- full of teasing, joking, and mutual affection, quite unlike the more formal relationship with a जेठ (jeth, husband's elder brother), where more respect and distance is expected. This contrast (younger = playful, elder = respectful) is baked into the vocabulary itself, so learning देवर (devar) alongside जेठ (jeth) together makes the system click.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use one blanket English word 'brother-in-law' and lose the distinction Hindi insists on: देवर (devar) is specifically the husband's *younger* brother, while जीजा (jiijaa) or साला (saalaa) cover completely different in-law relationships (sister's husband, wife's brother). Mixing these up in front of family is a classic learner slip. 2) Do not confuse with भाई (bhaaii, 'brother'), which is used for one's own sibling, not an in-law.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा देवर मुझसे बहुत मज़ाक करता है।
My brother-in-law (my husband's younger brother) teases me a lot.
(meraa devar mujhse bahut mazaak kartaa hai।)
कल मेरा देवर घर आया था।
My brother-in-law came home yesterday.
(kal meraa devar ghar aayaa thaa।)
उसका देवर शादी में सबसे ज़्यादा नाच रहा था।
Her brother-in-law was dancing the most at the wedding.
(uskaa devar shaadii men sabse zyaadaa naach rahaa thaa।)
अगर मेरा देवर यहाँ होता, तो वह ज़रूर मदद करता।
If my brother-in-law were here, he would definitely help.
(agar meraa devar yahaan hotaa, to vah zaroor madad kartaa।)
देवर जी, आज मेरे साथ बाज़ार चलिए ना!
Brother-in-law, come to the market with me today, come on!
(devar jii, aaj mere saath baazaar chalie naa!)
भाभी और देवर के बीच का रिश्ता अक्सर बहुत हल्का-फुल्का होता है।
The relationship between a sister-in-law and her devar is often very light-hearted.
(bhaabhii aur devar ke biich kaa rishtaa aksar bahut halkaa-phulkaa hotaa hai।)
शायद मेरा देवर इस हफ्ते हमसे मिलने आए।
Maybe my brother-in-law will come to visit us this week.
(shaayad meraa devar is haphte hamse milne aae।)
मेरे देवर की शादी में सारे रस्मों में बहुत मज़ा आया था।
All the rituals at my brother-in-law's wedding were a lot of fun.
(mere devar kii shaadii men saare rasmon men bahut mazaa aayaa thaa।)
उसे उसके देवर द्वारा हर होली पर रंग लगाया जाता है।
She gets colored by her brother-in-law every Holi.
(use uske devar dvaaraa har holii par rang lagaayaa jaataa hai।)
देवर के साथ हंसी-मज़ाक का रिश्ता जेठ के साथ के गंभीर रिश्ते से बिलकुल अलग होता है।
The playful relationship with a devar is quite different from the more serious relationship with a jeth (husband's elder brother).
(devar ke saath hansii-mazaak kaa rishtaa jeth ke saath ke gambhiir rishte se bilkul alag hotaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हारा देवर अभी भी दिल्ली में रहता है?
Does your brother-in-law still live in Delhi?
(kyaa tumhaaraa devar abhii bhii dillii men rahtaa hai?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
देवर
(devar)
(sg.m.oblique):
देवर
(devar)
(pl.m.direct):
देवर
(devar)
(pl.m.oblique):
देवरों
(devron)