menantu

Menantu is a kinship term used in Indonesian and Malay languages to refer to a person who is married to one's child. It covers both genders: a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law. To specify gender, one can say menantu laki-laki (son-in-law) or menantu perempuan (daughter-in-law).

This term sits within a broader system of kinship terms in Indonesian and Malay cultures, where relationships by marriage are distinguished from blood relationships. The mertua refers to one's spouse's parents, while ipar refers to siblings-in-law. The concept of menantu highlights the social ties that extend the family beyond blood relations.

Usage and expectations vary by family and community. In many traditional settings, the relationship between parents-in-law and their child's spouse involves mutual respect, participation in family gatherings, and shared responsibilities in caregiving and celebrations. Modern families may adopt more egalitarian dynamics, but norms surrounding hospitality, filial piety, and harmony can still shape interactions.

Legal status: A husband or wife, not the term itself, carries legal rights and duties; the title menantu is a kinship label used in everyday language rather than a separate legal category.

Related terms include mertua (parents-in-law) and ipar (kinship by marriage).