जेठJethHusband's Elder Brother
Jeth (जेठ) is your husband's elder brother — the senior brother-in-law in a married woman's new family. The word descends from the Sanskrit jyeshtha, meaning eldest, and that seniority is the whole point of the term.
Who is your Jeth?
In a traditional joint household the jeth stands just below the father-in-law in authority, and a bride historically kept a formal distance from him — in conservative homes she would veil before her jeth just as she did before her sasur. His position ordered the whole family: his wife, the jethani, ranked as the senior daughter-in-law among the brothers' wives, and major decisions ran through his side of the table. The term preserves a world where respect flowed strictly by age.
How it's used
A wife refers to him as jeth or jethji and addresses him as bhai sahab or bhaiya ji, almost never by bare name. For example: "मेरे जेठजी परिवार के सारे बड़े फैसले लेते हैं" — "My jethji (husband's elder brother) makes all the big decisions in the family."
Jeth vs similar terms
The jeth is the elder counterpart of the devar, the husband's younger brother — one relationship is formal, the other playful. Neither should be confused with the saala, who is the wife's brother from the husband's point of view. The jeth's wife is your jethani.
Frequently asked questions
What does Jeth mean in Hindi?
Jeth (जेठ) means your husband's elder brother. A married woman uses it for the brother senior to her husband, and treats him with the formality due an elder of the house.
What is the difference between Jeth and Devar?
The jeth is older than your husband and the devar is younger. Age sets the tone: the jeth receives formal respect, while the devar-bhabhi relationship is famously easygoing and full of banter.
Related terms
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