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Mi cuñada es la hermana de mi marido.

Mi cuñada es la hermana de mi marido.
My sister-in-law is my husband's sister.
From Lesson 88:Family and partners (el suegro, casarse)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Mi cuñada es la hermana de mi marido.

Why do we say la hermana de mi marido instead of using an apostrophe 's'?
Spanish doesn't have an apostrophe 's' to show possession. To say 'my husband's sister', you have to turn it around and say 'the sister of my husband', which translates exactly to la hermana de mi marido.
Why is es used here instead of está?
We use es (from the verb ser) because it is used for identity and defining relationships. Family ties like being someone's sister or sister-in-law are considered defining facts, so we use ser rather than estar.
Is there a difference between marido and esposo?
Both words mean 'husband'. In Spain, marido is used heavily in everyday, casual conversation. Esposo is also perfectly understood but can sometimes sound slightly more formal or official.
If I wanted to talk about my brother-in-law, what words would change in this sentence?
You would change the feminine -a endings to masculine -o endings. Mi cuñada (my sister-in-law) becomes mi cuñado, and la hermana (the sister) becomes el hermano.

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