Vocabulary
Tehran is a huge city, and getting around it means taxis, the metro, buses and a great deal of traffic. This page gathers the Persian transport vocabulary you need, along with words for the places you will be heading to and the directions that get you there. It builds on Lesson 13: Directions and Taxis, so start there if you have not done it yet.
As always, the spoken form comes first. You will hear khiâbun and meydun in conversation, but read khiâbân and meydân on street signs.
Places in the city
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| شهر | shahr | city, town |
| محله | mahalle | neighbourhood |
| خیابون | khiâbun (written: khiâbân) | street |
| کوچه | kuche | alley, side street |
| میدون | meydun (written: meydân) | square |
| چهارراه | chahârrâh | crossroads |
| بزرگراه | bozorgrâh | expressway |
| اتوبان | otobân | motorway, expressway (everyday word) |
| پل | pol | bridge, flyover |
| پیاده‌رو | piâdero | pavement |
| پارک | pârk | park |
| بیمارستان | bimârestân | hospital |
| داروخونه | dârukhune (written: dârukhâne) | pharmacy |
| بانک | bânk | bank |
| مسجد | masjed | mosque |
| موزه | muze | museum |
| سفارت | sefârat | embassy |
| پاساژ | pâsâzh | shopping centre, arcade |
| پمپ بنزین | pomp-e benzin | petrol station |
| فرودگاه | forudgâh | airport |
| ترمینال | terminâl | coach station |
| راه‌آهن | râh-âhan | railway; railway station |
| پلاک | pelâk | house number; number plate |
Ways of getting around
A تاکسی خطی tâksi khatti runs up and down a fixed route and picks up several passengers, each paying for their own seat. Ask for darbast if you want the car to yourself. Many Tehranis now book rides through apps such as Snapp, which people call اسنپ Esnap.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| تاکسی | tâksi | taxi |
| تاکسی خطی | tâksi khatti | shared taxi on a fixed route |
| دربست | darbast | private hire (the whole car) |
| تاکسی اینترنتی | tâksi interneti | app-booked taxi |
| اسنپ | Esnap | Snapp, the most widely used ride-hailing app |
| مسافرکش | mosâferkesh | private car that takes paying passengers |
| مترو | metro | metro, underground |
| اتوبوس | otobus | bus |
| ماشین | mâshin | car |
| موتور | motor | motorbike |
| دوچرخه | docharkhe | bicycle |
| قطار | ghatâr | train |
| هواپیما | havâpeymâ | aeroplane |
| پیاده | piâde | on foot |
Tickets, stations and traffic
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| ایستگاه | istgâh | station, stop |
| ایستگاه اتوبوس | istgâh-e otobus | bus stop |
| خط | khat | line, route |
| بلیت | belit | ticket |
| کرایه | kerâye | fare |
| مسیر | masir | route, way |
| مقصد | maghsad | destination |
| ورودی | vorudi | entrance (to a station or building) |
| خروجی | khoruji | exit |
| پله‌برقی | pelle-barghi | escalator |
| شارژ کردن | shârzh kardan | to top up (a travel card) |
| واگن بانوان | vâgon-e bânovân | women-only carriage |
| ترافیک | terâfik | traffic |
| شلوغ | sholugh | busy, crowded |
| خلوت | khalvat | quiet, not crowded |
| طرح ترافیک | tarh-e terâfik | Tehran’s central congestion-charge zone |
Directions and position
Tehran slopes uphill towards the Alborz mountains, so bâlâ (up) means north and pâyin (down) means south: bâlâ-ye shahr is uptown, the north of the city. For straight on, left and right, see Lesson 13.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| بالا | bâlâ | up; north (in Tehran) |
| پایین | pâyin | down; south (in Tehran) |
| شمال | shomâl | north |
| جنوب | jonub | south |
| شرق | shargh | east |
| غرب | gharb | west |
| روبه‌رو | ruberu | opposite |
| کنار | kenâr | next to, beside |
| پشت | posht | behind |
| جلو | jelo | in front |
| سر خیابون | sar-e khiâbun | at the end (or corner) of the street |
| ته کوچه | tah-e kuche | at the far end of the alley |
| بن‌بست | bonbast | dead end |
On the road
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| راننده | rânande | driver |
| گواهینامه | govâhinâme | driving licence |
| بنزین | benzin | petrol |
| چراغ قرمز | cherâgh ghermez | red light |
| تصادف | tasâdof | accident, crash |
| پارک کردن | pârk kardan | to park |
| جریمه | jarime | fine |
| پلیس | polis | police |
| عابر پیاده | âber-e piâde | pedestrian |
| بوق | bugh | horn |
Tehran tip: When you give an address in Tehran, go from the big picture to the small: district or square first, then the main street, the side street, the alley and finally the pelâk (house number). Drivers will often ask for a nearby landmark, so a metro station, park or well-known shop helps.
Example sentences
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| ببخشید، نزدیک‌ترین ایستگاه مترو کجاست؟ | bebakhshid, nazdiktarin istgâh-e metro kojâst? | excuse me, where’s the nearest metro station? |
| این اتوبوس می‌ره تجریش؟ | in otobus mire Tajrish? | does this bus go to Tajrish? |
| برای میدون آزادی کجا پیاده شم؟ | barâye meydun-e Âzâdi kojâ piâde sham? | where do I get off for Azadi Square? |
| کرایه چقدر می‌شه؟ | kerâye cheghadr mishe? | how much is the fare? |
| با اسنپ میام | bâ Esnap miyâm | I’ll come by Snapp |
| ترافیک خیلی سنگینه | terâfik kheyli sangine | the traffic’s very heavy |
| پیاده ده دقیقه راهه | piâde dah daghighe râhe | it’s ten minutes on foot |
| سر چهارراه نگه دارید | sar-e chahârrâh negah dârid | stop at the crossroads |
| روبه‌روی بانک منتظرم | ruberu-ye bânk montazeram | I’m waiting opposite the bank |