सालाSaalaWife's Brother
Saala (साला) is your wife's brother — the brother-in-law a man gains through marriage. The term covers the wife's brothers of any age, and its polite spoken form is often saale sahab or sala ji.
Who is your Saala?
The saala has genuine ritual standing: at a North Indian wedding the bride's brother has fixed duties, from escorting his sister to pouring puffed rice into her hands during the fire ceremony. The word, though, leads a double life — used loosely, saala is one of Hindi's most common mild expletives, the sting coming from its implication of a claim over the other man's sister. That is precisely why, within the family, the polite forms and a joking tone matter: the same syllables can be an insult on the street and an affectionate title at the dining table.
How it's used
A husband refers to his wife's brother as saala and usually addresses him by name, or as saale sahab with mock ceremony; the saala calls him jija or jijaji in return. For example: "मेरे साले साहब हमें एयरपोर्ट लेने आ रहे हैं" — "My saala (wife's brother) is coming to pick us up at the airport."
Saala vs similar terms
The saala is the wife's brother; the devar and jeth are the husband's younger and elder brothers, used by the wife. The relationship is reciprocal across the wedding: the man you call saala calls you jija. His sister — your wife's sister — is your saali.
Frequently asked questions
What does Saala mean in Hindi?
Saala (साला) means your wife's brother. Within the family it is a normal kinship term, often softened to saale sahab; outside that context the same word doubles as a common mild swear, so tone and setting matter.
What is the difference between Saala and Devar?
A saala is the wife's brother, named by the husband. A devar is the husband's younger brother, named by the wife. Each spouse has a separate word for the other's brothers.
Related terms
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