Vocabulary
Whether you are staying with an Iranian family, renting a flat or just chatting with neighbours, these Persian words for the home will come up every day. This page covers rooms, furniture, the fittings and utilities that tend to go wrong, housework, and the vocabulary of renting in Tehran.
One spoken change appears on almost every line: written ân becomes un, so خانه khâne (house, home) is khune in Tehran, hammâm (bathroom) becomes hamum, and sâkhtemân (building) becomes sâkhtemun. The spoken form comes first below.
Homes and rooms
Most Tehranis live in flats, and many older buildings have a small hayât (courtyard) at the front. Floors are counted from the ground floor, hamkaf, so tabaghe-ye avval is the first floor up, as in Britain.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| خونه | khune (written: khâne) | house, home |
| آپارتمان | âpârtemân | flat, apartment |
| ساختمون | sâkhtemun (written: sâkhtemân) | building |
| طبقه | tabaghe | floor, storey |
| همکف | hamkaf | ground floor |
| زیرزمین | zirzamin | basement |
| پشت‌بوم | poshtbum (written: poshtbâm) | roof |
| اتاق | otâgh | room |
| اتاق خواب | otâgh-e khâb | bedroom |
| هال | hâl | living room, family room |
| پذیرایی | pazirâyi | formal sitting room for guests |
| آشپزخونه | âshpazkhune (written: âshpazkhâne) | kitchen |
| حموم | hamum (written: hammâm) | bathroom (with shower) |
| دستشویی | dastshuyi | toilet; washbasin |
| راهرو | râhro | corridor, hallway |
| بالکن | bâlkon | balcony |
| حیاط | hayât | courtyard, yard |
| پارکینگ | pârking | parking space |
| انباری | anbâri | storeroom |
| آسانسور | âsânsor | lift |
| پله | pelle | stairs, step |
Furniture and furnishings
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| مبل | mobl | sofa, armchair |
| میز | miz | table, desk |
| صندلی | sandali | chair |
| تخت | takht | bed |
| کمد | komod | wardrobe, cupboard |
| قفسه | ghafase | shelf, shelves |
| فرش | farsh | carpet, rug |
| پرده | parde | curtain |
| بالش | bâlesh | pillow |
| پتو | patu | blanket |
| لحاف | lahâf | quilt, duvet |
| آینه | âyne (written: âyene) | mirror |
| چراغ | cherâgh | light, lamp |
| لامپ | lâmp | light bulb |
Doors, windows and utilities
Many Tehran flats are heated by shufâzh, radiators fed by a shared boiler, and cooled in summer by a rooftop evaporative cooler, simply called the کولر kuler.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| در | dar | door |
| پنجره | panjere | window |
| دیوار | divâr | wall |
| سقف | saghf | ceiling |
| کف | kaf | floor (surface) |
| کلید | kelid | key; light switch |
| قفل | ghofl | lock |
| زنگ | zang | doorbell |
| آب | âb | water |
| برق | bargh | electricity |
| گاز | gâz | gas |
| شوفاژ | shufâzh | radiator, central heating |
| بخاری | bokhâri | heater, gas fire |
| کولر | kuler | air conditioner, evaporative cooler |
| آبگرمکن | âbgarmkon | water heater |
| شیر آب | shir-e âb | tap |
| پریز | periz | socket |
| قبض | ghabz | bill (gas, water, electricity) |
| ماشین لباسشویی | mâshin-e lebâsshuyi | washing machine |
| جاروبرقی | jâru-barghi | vacuum cleaner |
Housework
Like cooking verbs, almost all housework verbs use کردن kardan: tamiz mikonam (I clean), otu mikoni? (are you ironing?). To switch something on or off, use rowshan kardan and khâmush kardan.
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| تمیز کردن | tamiz kardan | to clean |
| جارو کردن | jâru kardan | to sweep, hoover |
| گردگیری کردن | gardgiri kardan | to dust |
| ظرف شستن | zarf shostan | to wash up |
| لباس شستن | lebâs shostan | to do the laundry |
| اتو کردن | otu kardan | to iron |
| مرتب کردن | morattab kardan | to tidy |
| آشغال | âshghâl | rubbish |
| روشن کردن | rowshan kardan | to switch on |
| خاموش کردن | khâmush kardan | to switch off |
Renting a flat
Renting in Tehran usually involves a large deposit called رهن rahn, held by the landlord and returned when you leave, plus a monthly rent; the bigger the deposit, the lower the rent. The arrangement is called rahn-o ejâre. Many flats are found through a local bongâh (estate agent).
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| اجاره | ejâre | rent |
| رهن | rahn | deposit |
| رهن و اجاره | rahn-o ejâre | deposit-plus-rent arrangement |
| صاحبخونه | sâhebkhune (written: sâhebkhâne) | landlord, landlady; also host |
| مستاجر | mostajer (written: mosta’jer) | tenant |
| بنگاه | bongâh | estate agent |
| قرارداد | gharârdâd | contract |
| مبله | moble | furnished |
| متراژ | metrâzh | floor area |
| شارژ | shârzh | monthly service charge for the building |
| سرایدار | sarâydâr | caretaker, concierge |
| اسباب‌کشی | asbâbkeshi | moving house |
Tehran tip: Shoes come off at the door in Iranian homes, and your host will probably hand you a pair of slippers. When you arrive, you will be welcomed with بفرمایید تو befarmâyid tu (“please, come in”); an answer of mersi and a compliment on the house is always appreciated.
Example sentences
| Persian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| خونه‌تون کجاست؟ | khunetun kojâst? | where do you live? (literally “where is your home?”) |
| ما طبقه‌ی سوم زندگی می‌کنیم | mâ tabaghe-ye sevvom zendegi mikonim | we live on the third floor |
| آسانسور خرابه | âsânsor kharâbe | the lift is broken |
| برق رفت | bargh raft | the power’s gone off |
| کلیدم رو گم کردم | kelidam ro gom kardam | I’ve lost my key |
| شوفاژ کار نمی‌کنه | shufâzh kâr nemikone | the heating isn’t working |
| این آپارتمان چند متره؟ | in âpârtemân chand metre? | how big is this flat (in square metres)? |
| رهنش چقدره؟ | rahnesh cheghadre? | how much is the deposit? |
| آشغال رو ببر بیرون | âshghâl ro bebar birun | take the rubbish out (informal) |