ससुराल (sasuraal)

noun One core sense: the home/family of one's spouse (in-laws' household), a word central to talking about marriage in Hindi.
Sense 1 : in-laws' home/family
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: ससुराल (sasuraal) carries huge emotional weight in Hindi-speaking culture, especially for a married woman leaving her मायका (maaykaa, parental home) to live with her husband's family -- countless songs, TV serials, and jokes revolve around ससुराल (sasuraal) dynamics, particularly the sास-बहू (saas-bahoo, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law) relationship. You will often hear ससुराल जाना (sasuraal jaanaa, 'to go to one's in-laws' place') used for visits after marriage.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often think ससुराल (sasuraal) means just 'in-laws' (the people); it actually refers to the place/household -- the people themselves are ससुराल वाले (sasuraal vaale) or सास-ससुर (saas-sasur, mother-in-law and father-in-law). 2) Used for both husband's and wife's side depending on who is speaking -- for a woman it is her husband's family's home, for a man it is his wife's family's home, so context/speaker matters, not the word itself.
Sample Sentences:
शादी के बाद वह अपने ससुराल चली गई। After the wedding, she went to her in-laws' house.
(shaadii ke baad vah apne sasuraal chalii gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मैं हर साल दिवाली पर अपने ससुराल जाती हूँ। I go to my in-laws' house every year for Diwali.
(main har saal divaalii par apne sasuraal jaatii hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी सास ससुराल में उसे बहुत परेशान करती थी। Her mother-in-law used to trouble her a lot in her in-laws' house.
(uskii saas sasuraal men use bahut pareshaan kartii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
आजकल वह अपने ससुराल में ही रह रही है। These days she is staying at her in-laws' house.
(aajkal vah apne sasuraal men hii rah rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बेटी, अपने ससुराल में सबका आदर करना। Daughter, respect everyone at your in-laws' house.
(betii, apne sasuraal men sabkaa aadar karnaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर उसका ससुराल इतना दूर न होता तो वह हर हफ्ते मायके आ पाती। If her in-laws' house were not so far away, she would be able to come to her parents' home every week.
(agar uskaa sasuraal itnaa door n hotaa to vah har haphte maayke aa paatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शायद वह अगले महीने अपने ससुराल जाए। Maybe she will go to her in-laws' house next month.
(shaayad vah agle mahiine apne sasuraal jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उसे उम्मीद है कि ससुराल में सब उसे प्यार से अपनाएँगे। She hopes that everyone at her in-laws' house will accept her with love.
(use ummiid hai ki sasuraal men sab use pyaar se apnaaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
ससुराल में नई बहू का स्वागत बड़े धूमधाम से किया गया। The new daughter-in-law was welcomed with great fanfare at the in-laws' house.
(sasuraal men naii bahoo kaa svaagat bade dhoomdhaam se kiyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
सास-बहू के झगड़े ससुराल की कहानियों में आम बात हैं। Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fights are a common thing in in-laws' house stories.
(saas-bahoo ke jhagde sasuraal kii kahaaniyon men aam baat hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले साल तक वह अपने ससुराल कभी नहीं गई थी। Until last year, she had never gone to her in-laws' house.
(pichhle saal tak vah apne sasuraal kabhii nahiin gaii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): ससुराल (sasuraal)
(sg.m.oblique): ससुराल (sasuraal)
(pl.m.direct): ससुराल (sasuraal)
(pl.m.oblique): ससुरालों (sasuraalon)