समधीSamdhiCo-Father-in-law (Child's spouse's father)
Samdhi (समधी) is your co-father-in-law — the father of your child's spouse. When two families are joined by a marriage, the two fathers become samdhi to each other; the term is perfectly mutual.
Who is your Samdhi?
The samdhi relationship is the clearest proof that an Indian wedding marries two families, not just two people: the word exists so that the parents on each side have a name for one another for the rest of their lives. Many North Indian weddings stage this literally in the milni, the formal meeting where the two fathers garland and embrace each other before the ceremonies begin. Unlike most kinship bonds, there is no senior and junior here — samdhis meet as equals, and the grace between them sets the tone for how the two families will get along.
How it's used
Each father calls the other samdhi or, respectfully, samdhi ji; the term works both in reference and in warm direct address at family gatherings. For example: "समधीजी, अब तो हमारे दोनों परिवार एक हो गए" — "Samdhiji (co-father-in-law), now our two families have truly become one."
Samdhi vs similar terms
Keep samdhi apart from sasur: your sasur is your own spouse's father, while your samdhi is your child's spouse's father — one term belongs to the married couple, the other to their parents. His wife, the mother on that side, is your samdhan.
Frequently asked questions
What does Samdhi mean in Hindi?
Samdhi (समधी) means co-father-in-law — the father of your son's wife or your daughter's husband. The two fathers of a married couple call each other samdhi, a fully reciprocal term.
What is the difference between Samdhi and Sasur?
A sasur is your own father-in-law, your spouse's father. A samdhi is the father of your child's spouse. The married couple says sasur; their parents say samdhi.
Related terms
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