Serbo-Croatian kinship
The Serbo-Croatian standard languages have one of the more elaborate kinship systems among European languages. Terminology may differ from place to place. Most words are common to other Slavic languages, though some derive from Turkish. The standardized languages may recognize slightly different pronunciations or dialectical forms; all terms are considered standard in all language standards, unless otherwise marked: , , and below.
There are four main types of kinship in the family: biological blood kinship, kinship by law, spiritual kinship, and legal kinship through adoption and remarriage.
As is common in many rural family structures, three generations of a family will live together in a home in what anthropologists call a joint family structure, where parents, their son, and grandchildren would cohabit in a family home.
Direct descendance and ancestry
Words for relations up to five generations removed—great-great-grandparents and great-great-grandchildren—are in common use. The fourth-generation terms are also used as generics for ancestors and descendants. There is no distinction between the maternal and paternal line. In addition there are terms found in Serbian for ancestors past the 5th generation, but those are not in common use.| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation |
| bijela pčela bela pčela | бијела пчела бела пчела | great-great-great-descendant |
| čukununuka šukununuka | чукунунука шукунунука | great-great-granddaughter |
| čukununuk šukununuk | чукунунук шукунунук | great-great-grandson |
| praunuka | праунука | great-granddaughter, descendant |
| praunuk | праунук | great-grandson, descendant |
| unuka | унука | granddaughter |
| unuk | унук | grandson |
| kćer kćerka ćerka kći | кћер кћерка ћерка кћи | daughter |
| sin | син | son |
| majka mater mati | мајка матер мати | mother |
| mama keva | мама кева | mom |
| otac | отац | father |
| babo ćaća ćale tajo tata | бабо ћаћа ћале тајо тата | dad |
| baba baka nana nona | баба бака нана нона | grandmother |
| ded deka did dido djed đed nono dedo | дед дека дид дидо дјед ђед ноно дедо | grandfather |
| prababa prabaka | прабаба прабака | great-grandmother, ancestor |
| praded pradid pradido pradjed prađed | прадед прадид прадидо прадјед прађед | great-grandfather, ancestor |
| čukunbaba šukunbaka | чукунбаба шукунбака | great-great-grandmother |
| čukunded čukundjed čukunđed šukundid šukundjed | чукундед чукундјед чукунђед шукундид шукундјед | great-great-grandfather |
| predakinja pretkinja pređa | предакиња преткиња пређа | female ancestor |
| predak | предак | male ancestor |
Own generation
forms of siblings are used for cousins.| Latin | Cyrillic | English translation |
| brat | брат | brother |
| sestra | сестра | sister |
| bratić | братић | male first cousin |
| sestrična | сестрична | female first cousin |
| brat od strica stričević amidžić | брат од стрица стричевић амиџић | male cousin, son of father's brother |
| brat od daja brat od ujaka daidžić ujčević | брат од даја брат од ујака даиџић ујчевић | male cousin, son of mother's brother |
| brat od hale brat od tetke tetić tetkić tetišnji | брат од хале брат од тетке тетић теткић тетишњи | male cousin, son of mother's or father's sister |
| sestra od strica stričevka admidžišnja | сестра од стрица стричевићка амиџишња | female cousin, daughter of father's brother |
| sestra od daja sestra od ujaka ujčevka daidžišnja | сестра од даја сестра од ујака даиџишња ујчевићка | female cousin, daughter of mother's brother |
| sestra od hale sestra od tetke tetišnja | сестра од хале сестра од тетке тетишња | female cousin, daughter of mother's or father's sister |
| rođak | рођак | male cousin, relative |
| rođaka rođakinja rodica | рођака рођакиња родица | female cousin, relative |
Indirect ancestry, descendants and legal relations
There are separate terms for maternal and paternal uncles, but not for aunts. In addition, spouses of uncles and aunts have their own terms.| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation |
| amidža adžo stric čiča čika ćić | амиџа аџо стриц чича чика ћић | paternal uncle |
| amidžinica adžinica strina | амиџиница аџиница стрина | paternal uncle's wife |
| daidža / dajdža dajo ujak | даиџа / дајџа дајо ујак | maternal uncle |
| daidžinica / dajdžinica dajnica ujna | даиџиница / дајџиница дајница ујна | maternal uncle's wife; i.e. maternal aunt through marriage |
| hala tetka | хала тетка | aunt |
| teča tetak | теча тетак | aunt's husband |
| bratanac | братанац | fraternal nephew |
| bratanić | братанић | fraternal nephew |
| sinovac | синовац | fraternal nephew |
| bratanica brataničina | братаница братаничина | fraternal niece |
| nećak | нећак | nephew |
| nećaka nećakinja | нећака нећакиња | niece |
| sestrić | сестрић | sororal nephew |
| sestričina | сестричина | sororal niece |
In-laws
There are separate terms for a man's and a woman's parents-in-law. However, the same terms are commonly used for siblings-in-law and children-in-law. There are separate terms for co-siblings-in-law.| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation | English translation |
| svekar | свекар | husband's father | father-in-law |
| svekrva | свекрва | husband's mother | mother-in-law |
| punac tast | пунац таст | wife's father | father-in-law |
| punica tašta | пуница ташта | wife's mother | mother-in-law |
| zet | зет | daughter's or sister's husband | son-in-law or brother-in-law |
| nevesta odiva snaha snaja | невеста одива снаха снаjа | son's or brother's wife | daughter-in-law or sister-in-law |
| šura šurjak šogor | шура шурjак шогор | wife's brother | brother-in-law |
| šurjakinja šurnjaja | шурјакиња шурњаја | wife's brother's wife | sister-in-law |
| svastika šogorica | свастика шогорица | wife's sister | sister-in-law |
| svastić | свастић | wife's sister's son | nephew-in-law |
| svastičina | свастичина | wife's sister's daughter | niece-in-law |
| badženjak badžo dever đever | баџењак баџо девер ђевер | husband's brother | brother-in-law |
| jetrva | јетрва | husband's brother's wife | :wiktionary:co-sister-in-law|co-sister-in-law |
| zaova | заова | husband's sister | sister-in-law |
| zaovac | заовац | husband's sister's husband | :wiktionary:co-brother-in-law|co-brother-in-law |
| pašanac pašenog | пашанац пашеног | wife's sister's husband | :wiktionary:co-brother-in-law|co-brother-in-law |
| prija | прија | child's spouse's mother | :wiktionary:co-mother-in-law|co-mother-in-law |
| prijatelj | пријатељ | child's spouse's father | :wiktionary:co-father-in-law|co-father-in-law; N.B. the exactly same word means "friend" |
Step-relatives
There are spouses of ancestors that are not blood relatives and their spouse's descendants, second spouse of father's or mother's siblings and their children.| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation |
| očuh | очух | stepfather |
| maćeha | маћеха | stepmother |
| pastorak | пасторак | stepson |
| pastorka pastorkinja | пасторка пасторкиња | stepdaughter |
| polubrat | полубрат | half-brother |
| – brat po ocu | брат по оцу | half-brother |
| – brat po majci | брат по мајци | half-brother |
| polusestra | полусестра | half-sister |
| – sestra po ocu | сестра по оцу | half-sister |
| – sestra po majci | сестра по мајци | half-sister |
Foster-relatives
Foster relations are important and have dedicated terms.| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation |
| usvojenik | усвојеник | adopted son |
| usvojenica | усвојеница | adopted daughter |
| poočim | поочим | foster-father |
| pomajka | помајка | foster-mother |
| posinak usinjenik | посинак усињеник | foster-son |
| poćerka | поћерка | foster-daughter |