Vocabulary
Tehran has a real four-season climate: hot, dry summers, crisp autumns, snow on the mountains in winter and a short, lovely spring. That makes the weather a reliable topic of conversation, and these Persian weather words will get you through it. The page also covers the seasons and their festivals, the landscape around the city, and common plants and animals.
Talking about the weather
The key word is هوا havâ, which means both weather and air. Havâ chetore? asks what the weather is like, and the answer usually follows the pattern havâ + adjective: havâ sarde (it’s cold), havâ âftâbiye (it’s sunny). For rain, snow and wind, Persian says they “come”: bârun miyâd, it’s raining.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| هوا | havâ | weather; air |
| آب‌وهوا | âb-o-havâ | climate |
| هوا چطوره؟ | havâ chetore? | what’s the weather like? |
| آفتاب | âftâb | sunshine |
| آفتابی | âftâbi | sunny |
| ابر | abr | cloud |
| ابری | abri | cloudy |
| بارون | bârun (written: bârân) | rain |
| بارون میاد | bârun miyâd (written: bârân mi-âyad) | it’s raining |
| برف | barf | snow |
| برف میاد | barf miyâd | it’s snowing |
| باد | bâd | wind |
| طوفان | tufân | storm |
| رعد و برق | ra’d-o bargh | thunder and lightning |
| مه | meh | fog, mist |
| تگرگ | tagarg | hail |
| یخ | yakh | ice |
| یخبندان | yakhbandân | frost, freezing weather |
| چتر | chatr | umbrella |
Temperature and air
In recent years Tehran’s air quality has become part of every weather report. On bad days schools and offices may close, and you will hear آلودگی هوا âludegi-ye havâ (air pollution) mentioned constantly.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| گرم | garm | warm, hot |
| داغ | dâgh | very hot, scorching |
| سرد | sard | cold |
| خنک | khonak | cool |
| خشک | khoshk | dry |
| شرجی | sharji | humid, muggy |
| دما | damâ | temperature |
| درجه | daraje | degree |
| زیر صفر | zir-e sefr | below zero |
| پیش‌بینی هوا | pishbini-ye havâ | weather forecast |
| آلودگی هوا | âludegi-ye havâ | air pollution |
| آلوده | âlude | polluted |
| ریزگرد | rizgard | fine dust (in a dust haze) |
Seasons and the year
The Persian year begins with spring, at Nowruz, and each season has its own celebrations. The months are covered in Lesson 17.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| فصل | fasl | season |
| بهار | bahâr | spring |
| تابستون | tâbestun (written: tâbestân) | summer |
| پاییز | pâyiz | autumn |
| زمستون | zemestun (written: zemestân) | winter |
| سال | sâl | year |
| نوروز | Nowruz | Persian New Year, at the spring equinox |
| سیزده‌به‌در | Sizdah Be-dar | the 13th day of the new year, spent outdoors |
| شب یلدا | Shab-e Yaldâ | the longest night of the year, celebrated in late December |
| چهارشنبه‌سوری | Chahârshanbe Suri | fire festival on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year |
The landscape
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| طبیعت | tabi’at | nature |
| کوه | kuh | mountain |
| قله | gholle | summit, peak |
| تپه | tappe | hill |
| دره | darre | valley |
| رودخونه | rudkhune (written: rudkhâne) | river |
| دریا | daryâ | sea |
| دریاچه | daryâche | lake |
| ساحل | sâhel | shore, beach |
| جنگل | jangal | forest |
| بیابون | biâbun (written: biâbân) | desert |
| کویر | kavir | salt desert |
| چشمه | cheshme | spring (of water) |
| آبشار | âbshâr | waterfall |
| غار | ghâr | cave |
| آسمون | âsemun (written: âsemân) | sky |
| خورشید | khorshid | sun |
| ماه | mâh | moon; month |
| ستاره | setâre | star |
| غروب | ghorub | sunset; early evening |
Plants and animals
The tall trees lining Valiasr Street are چنار chenâr, plane trees, and they are as much a symbol of the city as its mountains.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| درخت | derakht | tree |
| چنار | chenâr | plane tree |
| گل | gol | flower |
| برگ | barg | leaf |
| حیوون | heyvun (written: heyvân) | animal |
| پرنده | parande | bird |
| گربه | gorbe | cat |
| سگ | sag | dog |
| اسب | asb | horse |
| گوسفند | gusfand | sheep |
| گاو | gâv | cow |
| بز | boz | goat |
| پلنگ | palang | leopard |
| یوزپلنگ | yuzpalang | cheetah |
| عقاب | oghâb | eagle |
Tehran tip: When Tehranis say they are going kuh (to the mountain), they mean a hike in the Alborz foothills on the city’s northern edge. Darband and Darakeh are the classic routes, busiest on Friday mornings, with teahouses along the path for breakfast on the way up.
Example sentences
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| امروز هوا چطوره؟ | emruz havâ chetore? | what’s the weather like today? |
| هوا خیلی سرده، کاپشنت رو بپوش | havâ kheyli sarde, kâpshanet ro bepush | it’s very cold; put your coat on |
| فردا بارون میاد | fardâ bârun miyâd | it’s going to rain tomorrow |
| برف اومده | barf umade | it’s snowed |
| چتر داری؟ | chatr dâri? | have you got an umbrella? (informal) |
| به‌خاطر آلودگی هوا مدرسه‌ها تعطیل شد | be khâter-e âludegi-ye havâ madresehâ ta’til shod | schools were closed because of the air pollution |
| آخر هفته بریم کوه؟ | âkhar-e hafte berim kuh? | shall we go hiking at the weekend? |
| تهران پاییز خیلی قشنگه | Tehrân pâyiz kheyli ghashange | Tehran is lovely in autumn |
| دما زیر صفره | damâ zir-e sefre | it’s below zero |