What it means
افسرده (afsorde) means depressed, dejected, or dispirited. It is the past participle of the pure Persian verb افسردن (afsordan), which literally means to freeze or to wither. The image behind the word is of something alive that has gone cold and still. In everyday speech افسرده describes a persistent low mood, more serious and longer-lasting than the situational sadness of غمگین (ghamgin). In clinical Persian, افسردگی (afsordegi) is the standard term for clinical depression. A related contrast: غمگین can describe a passing sadness, while افسرده implies a deeper, more sustained state.
How to use it
- این روزا خیلی افسردهام. (in ruzâ kheyli afsordeam.) “I have been very depressed lately.”
- چرا انقدر افسردهای؟ (chera inghad afsordei?) “Why are you so dejected?”
- هوای ابری آدم رو افسرده میکنه. (havâye abri âdam ro afsorde mikone.) “Cloudy weather makes a person feel low.”
- دکتر گفت افسردگی داره. (doktor goft afsordegi dâre.) “The doctor said he has depression.”
Cultural note
Awareness of افسردگی as a clinical condition has grown significantly in Iranian society over the past two decades, and the word has shifted from a purely literary register into common medical and therapeutic conversation. Classical poets used افسرده to describe the soul dimmed by separation or worldly loss, and that poetic heritage still gives the word emotional depth when used in writing today. Saying افسردهام to a close friend is a genuine, recognized signal that something is seriously wrong, not simply a passing mood.