In a boy's marriage biodata, partner expectations are two or three lines about the girl and family he hopes for: her education, whether she works, where they will live, and one or two values. Write it with respect for the girl's own plans. Lines like "fair, slim, homely girl" sound outdated today, and they say more about the boy's family than about the girl he hopes for.
What to Cover as a Boy
Most girls' families read the boy's expectations looking for two answers. Can she keep working? Will she have to live with the in-laws? Answer both, honestly, and you have done most of the work.
Then add one line about the kind of person and, if it matters, community and location.
Modern and Respectful Samples
| Sample |
|---|
| Looking for an educated girl, working or not, as she prefers. |
| A kind, cheerful partner who values family and her own career. |
| Looking for someone I can share decisions and housework with. |
| An educated girl from a good family. Caste no bar. |
| Someone honest and easy to talk to, who likes a simple life. |
| A partner who is independent and confident. |
| Looking for a girl who is happy to continue her career after marriage. |
| Someone who likes travel, books and long conversations. |
| A graduate girl from any profession, open to living in Bengaluru. |
| A partner who respects both families equally. |
| Someone with a sense of humour and a calm nature. |
| Looking for an educated, well-mannered girl. We support her working. |
Samples for Traditional Families
| Sample |
|---|
| Looking for an educated girl from a cultured family who respects elders. |
| A girl from our community who is comfortable in a joint family. |
| Vegetarian girl from a religious family preferred. |
| Horoscope match is important to our family. |
| We hope she will live with us in our family home in Madurai. Happy to discuss her job. |
| A simple, educated girl who values our traditions. |
| Someone who will take part in our family's festivals and functions. |
| Looking for a girl from a Brahmin family, horoscope matching required. |
Notice how "we hope she will live with us" reads. It states the family's wish and leaves room for her answer. Writing "must live with parents" says the same thing and loses half the replies.
Samples for Business Families
| Sample |
|---|
| Looking for an educated girl who may like to be part of our family business. |
| A girl from a business family, comfortable with our way of life. |
| We run a family business in Ludhiana and hope for a girl who will settle here. |
| Graduate girl, preferably with a commerce background. |
| A girl who is comfortable in a large joint family in Rajkot. |
Samples for NRI Grooms
| Sample |
|---|
| Looking for a girl willing to settle in the US after marriage. |
| An educated girl who is open to living in Canada. Her career is welcome there. |
| Prefer a girl already working abroad, or one who can work there. |
| A girl comfortable living away from India for some years. |
| Looking for an independent girl, ready to move to Australia. |
Mention the visa position in About Me if it helps: "I am a permanent resident in Canada." Girls' families ask this first.
Samples for a Second Marriage
| Sample |
|---|
| Looking for an understanding, mature partner. Divorced or widowed profiles welcome. |
| A kind partner who will accept my son, who lives with me. |
| Someone who wants to start afresh without dwelling on the past. |
| Open to a partner with a child. |
| A calm, settled girl, preferably aged 30 to 38. |
For the Marital Status line and the rest, see biodata for second marriage.
Outdated Words to Drop
| Old wording | Why to drop it | Write instead |
|---|---|---|
| Fair, wheatish | Judges skin colour | Leave it out. The photo is there |
| Homely | Reads as "should stay at home and not question" | Family-oriented, if that is what you mean |
| Slim, tall, beautiful | About looks, not the person | Cheerful, kind, educated |
| Must adjust with family | Sounds like a warning | Comfortable in a joint family |
| Non-working only | Shuts out most graduates | We would prefer she manages the home. Happy to discuss |
| Good family background (with a hint of gifts) | Can read as a dowry expectation | From a cultured family |
The dowry hint deserves a plain warning. Demanding dowry is a crime under section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, punishable with six months to two years in jail. Keep every line of the biodata clear of it. If a family ever asks you for dowry, the National Legal Services Authority gives free legal advice on its helpline, 15100.
Wording for a Working Wife and In-Law Expectations
Two of the most asked questions, and how to answer them in the biodata:
| If your family wants | Write |
|---|---|
| Her to keep working | We support her continuing her career |
| Her to manage the home, but would discuss work | We hope she will be comfortable at home. Happy to discuss work |
| Her to live with the parents | We hope she will live with us, at least in the first few years |
| A separate home for the couple | We are happy for them to set up their own home |
Be truthful here. If the family expects her to stop working, writing "working welcome" only moves the disagreement to after the engagement.
Where to Write It
Our biodata form has no separate expectations box. Add two or three lines at the end of About Me, in Personal Details. The boy's biodata page shows a filled sample with every section. Karthik's About Me on our marriage biodata sample page ends with one such line: "Looking for a graduate girl, working or not, who is comfortable living with my parents."
The main partner expectations guide has a table of must-haves and preferences, if you are unsure which lines to keep.
Common questions
What Should a Boy Write in Partner Expectations?
Her education, whether she can work, where you will live, and one or two values. Add community or horoscope only if the family insists.
Should a Boy Write "Homely" or "Fair"?
No. Both words read badly to many families today. Write about the person, not her looks.
How to Mention a Working or Non-Working Wife?
Say what your family truly expects, gently: "We support her career" or "We hope she will be comfortable at home. Happy to discuss work."
How to Write About Living with Parents?
"We hope she will live with us, at least in the first few years." It is clear without sounding like a condition.
How Long Should a Boy's Expectations Be?
Two or three sentences. A long list usually reduces the number of replies.
Sources
Related Guides
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