صبا
صبا (sabâ) is the gentle east wind of classical Persian poetry, the breeze Hafez sends as a messenger between lovers. The word is an Arabic loanword, also used as a common Persian given name.
Glossary
نیک
نیک (nik) is a literary Persian word for good or virtuous, more formal than the everyday خوب. It survives in the Zoroastrian motto of good thoughts, good words, good deeds.
اصل
اصل (asl) means origin, root, or principle, and by extension the real, genuine version of something. It’s an Arabic loanword used constantly in everyday Persian, from در اصل to اصلِ جنس.
ناز
ناز (nâz) means coyness, playful reluctance, or the little acts of resistance someone puts on to be coaxed and adored. It’s rooted in Persian culture and shows up constantly in daily speech and poetry.
مجنون
مجنون (majnun) means mad, crazed, out of your mind, often specifically mad with love. It’s an Arabic loanword, also the name of the lovesick hero in Leyli o Majnun.
شیک
شیک (shik) means chic or stylish in Persian, borrowed directly from French. It describes clothes, people, restaurants, anything with polish, and pairs with شیک پوش for a sharp dresser.
آفتاب
آفتاب (âftâb) is the warmth and light of the sun as you feel it, a native Persian compound word distinct from خورشید, the sun as an object in the sky. Persians say آفتاب زد when the sun comes out.
کو
کو (ku) is a colloquial Persian question word that means where is it, sharper and more casual than the standard کجاست. Persians use it constantly when something or someone is missing.
جوجو
جوجو (juju) is a baby-talk pet name in Persian, meaning cutie or little chick, built from جوجه the word for a baby chick. Parents and pet owners use it constantly with babies and animals.
بوس
بوس (bus) means a casual kiss in Persian, the word friends, parents, and lovers actually use every day. It is native Persian, not a loanword, and pairs with the verb بوسیدن for kissing.