خاک تو سرت!
khâk tu saret!
“Dirt on your head!”
Shame on you, you hopeless thing. Can be a real scolding, but between family and close friends it is often half fond and half exasperated.
Sayingsضرب‌المثل‌ها و اصطلاحات
Persian is a language that would rather say "I'll eat your liver" than "I love you", and that's exactly why its idioms are such a joy. Translate them word for word and you get little poems of absurdity, which is half the fun of learning what they really mean.
All the sayings
خاک تو سرت!
khâk tu saret!
“Dirt on your head!”
Shame on you, you hopeless thing. Can be a real scolding, but between family and close friends it is often half fond and half exasperated.
دیگ به دیگ می‌گه روت سیاه
dig be dig mige rut siâh
“The pot tells the pot: your face is black!”
The pot calling the kettle black: said when someone criticises a fault they share.
موش تو سوراخ نمی‌رفت، جارو به دمش می‌بست
mush tu surâkh nemiraft, jâru be domesh mibast
“The mouse couldn't fit into its hole, so it tied a broom to its tail.”
Said of someone who can't manage their own affairs but piles on more, or drags others along with them.
برو کشکتو بساب
boro kashketo besâb
“Go and grind your kashk.”
Mind your own business, go away and do something useful.
منو سر کار گذاشتی؟
mano sar-e kâr gozâshti?
“Did you put me to work?”
Are you pulling my leg? Sar-e kâr gozâshtan means to prank someone or string them along.
مثل بز اخفش
mesl-e boz-e akhfash
“Like Akhfash's goat.”
Someone who nods along to everything without understanding a word.
خر خودتی!
khar khodeti!
“You're the donkey!”
The classic playground comeback: no, YOU are. Fine between friends, rude to strangers.
زیرآبی رفتن
zir-âbi raftan
“To go underwater.”
To do something on the sly behind someone's back, such as breaking a rule or a diet when you think no one is looking.
جیگرتو بخورم
jigareto bokhoram
“I'll eat your liver!”
You're so adorable I could eat you up. Said to small children and loved ones.
قربونت برم
ghorbunet beram
“May I be sacrificed for you.”
An all-purpose endearment and thank-you; Persian mothers say it a dozen times a day.
فدات شم
fadât sham
“May I become your ransom.”
I'd give anything for you. Also a warm thank-you or a fond way to end a phone call.
دورت بگردم
dowret begardam
“May I circle around you.”
A tender endearment, often used when comforting someone.
الهی بمیرم
elâhi bemiram
“Oh, may I die!”
You poor thing! Said in sympathy at someone's bad luck, or when melting over something cute.
دلم برات یه ذره شده
delam barât ye zarre shode
“My heart has shrunk to a tiny speck for you.”
I miss you terribly.
نفسم
nafasam
“My breath.”
My darling: you're as necessary to me as breathing. Used for partners and children.
پیاز داغش رو زیاد کردن
piâz dâghesh ro ziâd kardan
“To add too much fried onion.”
To exaggerate or embellish a story.
نون به نرخ روز خوردن
nun be nerkh-e ruz khordan
“To eat bread at today's price.”
To be an opportunist who changes opinions and loyalties to suit whoever is on top.
بادمجون بم آفت نداره
bâdemjun-e bam âfat nadâre
“Eggplants from Bam never get blight.”
Nothing can harm a tough old weed. Usually said jokingly about yourself, or about a rascal who always comes out unscathed.
آش نخورده و دهن سوخته
âsh nakhorde va dahan sukhte
“Didn't eat the soup, burnt my mouth anyway.”
Taking the blame or the punishment for something you didn't do, or didn't even get to enjoy.
همون آش و همون کاسه
hamun âsh o hamun kâse
“Same soup, same bowl.”
Nothing has changed, whatever was promised.
یه آشی برات بپزم که یه وجب روغن روش باشه
ye âshi barât bepazam ke ye vajab roghan rush bâshe
“I'll cook you a soup with a hand's breadth of oil on top.”
A threat, usually half in jest: just you wait, I'll get you back for this.
برای کسی نوشابه باز کردن
barâ-ye kasi nushâbe bâz kardan
“To open a fizzy drink for someone.”
To flatter someone or make a fuss of them. Usually sarcastic: "Shall we open a soda for you?" means "Do you want a medal?"
سیر تا پیاز
sir tâ piâz
“From garlic to onion.”
The whole story, every last detail.
ماست‌ها رو کیسه کردن
mâsthâ ro kise kardan
“To bag up the yoghurts.”
To lose your nerve and back down.
هر کسی به فکر خویش است، کوسه به فکر ریش است
har kasi be fekr-e khish ast, kuse be fekr-e rish ast
“Everyone thinks of himself; the beardless man thinks of beards.”
Everyone is wrapped up in their own concerns.
تخم‌مرغ دزد، شتر دزد می‌شه
tokhm-e morgh dozd, shotor dozd mishe
“An egg thief becomes a camel thief.”
Small misdeeds grow into big ones, so nip bad habits in the bud.
خربزه خوردی، پای لرزش هم بشین
kharboze khordi, pâ-ye larzesh ham beshin
“You ate the melon, now sit through the shivers.”
You made your choice, now live with the consequences.
با حلوا حلوا گفتن دهن شیرین نمی‌شه
bâ halvâ halvâ goftan dahan shirin nemishe
“Saying "halva, halva" won't sweeten your mouth.”
Talk is cheap: you have to actually do it.
شتر دیدی، ندیدی
shotor didi, nadidi
“You saw a camel? No, you didn't.”
You saw nothing. Keep it to yourself.
مارگزیده از ریسمون سیاه و سفید می‌ترسه
mâr-gazide az rismun-e siâh o sefid mitarse
“Someone bitten by a snake is afraid of a black-and-white rope.”
Once bitten, twice shy.
پاتو به اندازهٔ گلیمت دراز کن
pâto be andâze-ye gelimet derâz kon
“Stretch your legs only as far as your rug.”
Live within your means.
دیوار موش داره، موش هم گوش داره
divâr mush dâre, mush ham gush dâre
“Walls have mice, and mice have ears.”
Careful what you say: someone may be listening.
دود از کله‌اش بلند شد
dud az kallash boland shod
“Smoke rose from his head.”
He was completely flabbergasted (and sometimes fuming too).
مثل خر تو گل موندن
mesl-e khar tu gel mundan
“To be stuck like a donkey in the mud.”
To be hopelessly stuck, with no way forward or back.
مخمو خوردی
mokhamo khordi
“You've eaten my brain.”
You've talked my ear off, or nagged me senseless.
جونم به لبم رسید
junam be labam resid
“My soul has reached my lips.”
I'm at the end of my tether.
کارد به استخونم رسیده
kârd be ostekhunam reside
“The knife has reached my bone.”
I've had all I can take.
شورشو درآوردی
shuresho dar-ovordi
“You've made it too salty.”
You've overdone it; now you've gone too far.
رو مخم راه نرو!
ru mokham râh naro!
“Don't walk on my brain!”
Stop getting on my nerves! Something irritating is simply ru-ye mokh, "on the brain".
گل بود به سبزه نیز آراسته شد
gol bud be sabze niz ârâste shod
“It was a flower, and now it has been decorated with greenery too.”
Said ironically when bad goes to worse: as if things weren't bad enough already.
انگار نه انگار
engâr na engâr
“As if, not as if.”
Acting as though nothing happened, or as though you'd never said a word.
چشمت روز بد نبینه
cheshmet ruz-e bad nabine
“May your eyes never see a bad day.”
The dramatic opening to a tale of disaster: you wouldn't believe what happened next.
آب از سرش گذشته
âb az saresh gozashte
“The water has gone over his head.”
He's past the point of no return, so he may as well go all the way.
کار از کار گذشته
kâr az kâr gozashte
“The job has gone past the job.”
It's too late now; what's done is done.
آسمون به زمین نمیاد
âsemun be zamin nemiâd
“The sky won't fall to the ground.”
It's not the end of the world.
از این ستون به اون ستون فرجه
az in sotun be un sotun faraje
“From this pillar to that pillar, there's relief.”
Buy yourself some time; something may turn up.
مرغ همسایه غازه
morgh-e hamsâye ghâze
“The neighbour's hen is a goose.”
The grass is always greener on the other side.
سنگ رو یخ شدن
sang ru yakh shodan
“To become a stone on the ice.”
To be left red-faced when your plans fall through or you're caught out.
نونش تو روغنه
nunesh tu roghane
“His bread is in the oil.”
He's doing very nicely, thank you: life is good and money is coming in.
دستت درد نکنه
dastet dard nakone
“May your hand not hurt.”
Thank you, for a meal, a favour or any effort someone has made for you.
خسته نباشید
khaste nabâshid
“May you not be tired.”
A greeting that acknowledges someone's work, said to shopkeepers, teachers or anyone at the end of an effort, whether or not they look tired.
قابل نداره
ghâbel nadâre
“It isn't worthy of you.”
Classic taarof: a shopkeeper or host politely waves away payment or thanks, and you are expected to insist.
به روی چشم
be ru-ye cheshm
“On my eyes.”
Gladly, consider it done. Even a simple cheshm, "eye", means "yes, will do".
چشمتون روشن
cheshmetun roshan
“May your eyes be bright.”
Congratulations on the arrival or return of someone dear: a new baby, or a relative home from abroad.
هندونه زیر بغل کسی گذاشتن
hendune zir-e baghal-e kasi gozâshtan
“To tuck watermelons under someone's arm.”
To flatter someone lavishly, often to talk them into something.
نخود هر آشی
nokhod-e har âshi
“The chickpea in every soup.”
A busybody who has to be involved in everything.
از دماغ فیل افتاده
az damâgh-e fil oftâde
“He fell out of an elephant's nose.”
Stuck-up; thinks he's better than everyone else.
سرم کلاه گذاشتن
saram kolâh gozâshtan
“They put a hat on my head.”
I was cheated or ripped off.
آب زیر کاه
âb-e zir-e kâh
“Water under the straw.”
A quiet, innocent-looking person who is far craftier than they seem.
دو قورت و نیمش باقیه
do ghurt o nimesh bâghiye
“He still has two and a half gulps to go.”
Said of someone who is in the wrong but still acts aggrieved and demands more.