ਸੱਸ

Saas (ਸੱਸ) is the Punjabi word for mother-in-law, the mother of your husband or wife. In a Punjabi family she is an elder of the house, paired with the sauhra, the father-in-law. A bride or groom joins the family, and the saas becomes one of the closest relations by marriage.

What does saas mean in Punjabi?

Saas means mother-in-law, and nothing narrower. Punjabi relations lists give the word as the exact match for mother-in-law, in the same in-law group as sauhra for father-in-law, nooh for daughter-in-law and jawai for son-in-law. English needs the long phrase mother-in-law, but Punjabi does the same job with one short word that children in the house learn early.

The word is used for the spouse's mother on both sides. A woman calls her husband's mother her saas, and a man calls his wife's mother his saas. In direct address many people simply say Bebe ji or Maa ji as a mark of respect, and use saas when speaking about her to others. That split between address and reference is common across Punjabi family words.

Who is a saas in a Punjabi family?

A saas is a relation by marriage, not by blood, yet in a joint family she is often at the centre of daily life at home. Traditionally the new bride, the nooh, came to live in her husband's family home, so the saas and nooh shared the kitchen and the courtyard every day. Everyday talk, songs and jokes in Punjab often play on this close and sometimes delicate relationship, which is why the word carries warmth and a little weight at the same time.

What is the difference between saas and bebe?

Bebe is a respectful word for your own mother, while saas names your spouse's mother. The two can overlap in address, because a daughter-in-law may call her saas Bebe ji to show the same respect she gives her own mother. In a family list, though, the words stay separate: bebe is a parent, and saas is a parent by marriage.

How do you say mother-in-law in Punjabi?

You say saas. The respectful spoken reference is often Saas ji, while face to face many families use Bebe ji. The paired word for her husband is sauhra, and together the saas and sauhra head the sauhre, the in-laws' side of the family that a marriage joins.