ابر

What it means

ابر (abr) means “cloud.” A pure Persian word, foundational to weather vocabulary and a recurring image in classical poetry. The plural is ابرها (abr-hâ).

How to use it

• هوا ابری است (havâ abri ast) “The weather is cloudy”
• پشت ابر (posht-e abr) “behind the clouds”
• ابرهای سیاه (abr-hâ-ye siyâh) “black clouds”

Common pairings and weather context

• ابری (abri) “cloudy”
• آسمان ابری (âsemân-e abri) “cloudy sky”
• نیمه‌ابری (nime-abri) “partly cloudy”
• ابر و باد (abr-o-bâd) “clouds and wind” (poetic pairing)

Cultural note

In classical Persian poetry, the ابر is a stock image of transience and weeping. Hafez and Saadi use it constantly: clouds gather, rain falls, the moment passes. The phrase پشت ابر نمی‌مونه ماه (posht-e abr nemimune mâh) “the moon does not stay behind the cloud” is a proverb meaning the truth eventually shows itself.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab