How to Write 妯 (zhóu) — Meaning “sister-in-law (wife of husband's brother)”

Picture two women (女) standing next to a "reason" or "cause" (由) — because the relationship between sisters-in-law always has a story or reason behind it. Alternatively, think of the right side 由 as looking like a pair of eyes, representing the two women watching each other in the family.

Write the left radical 女 with its three strokes: first two slanted lines, then a horizontal stroke that crosses. The right part 由 must be written with the vertical stroke going through the middle, not stopping at the top — a common mistake is making the 由 look like 田 (field) with a closed top.

妯 (sister-in-law) is pronounced zhóu, while 奸 (jiān) means "wicked" or "adultery" and is written with 女 on the left and 干 on top. 她 (tā) is the word for "she" or "her" with the radical 女 and 也 — very common, while 妯 is rare and only used in family terms like 妯娌.

妯 is almost always used in the compound 妯娌 (zhóu lǐ), meaning sisters-in-law (the wives of brothers). It appears in family conversations or stories about in-law relationships, especially in rural or traditional settings — for example, "妯娌俩相处得很好" means "the two sisters-in-law get along well."

Common words containing 妯 include: 妯娌 (zhóu lǐ) — sisters-in-law (wives of brothers); 妯娌俩 (zhóu lǐ liǎ) — the two sisters-in-law; 大妯 (dà zhóu) — Eldest sister-in-law (wife of the eldest brother).