What it means
اخیراً (akhiran) means “recently” or “lately.” It comes from the Arabic adjective اخیر (akhir, “last” or “most recent”) with the adverbial accusative suffix ـاً. In Persian it refers to an unspecified recent period, similar to English “these days” or “in recent times.” It contrasts naturally with قبلاً (qablan, “previously”), and together the two words anchor a common narrative pattern: “previously X, recently Y.” اخیراً is comfortable in both conversation and formal writing.
How to use it
- اخیراً خیلی کتاب خوندم. (akhiran kheyli ketâb khundam.) “I have read a lot of books recently.”
- اخیراً حالت چطوره؟ (akhiran hâlat chetore?) “How have you been lately?”
- اخیراً بازار خوب نیست. (akhiran bâzâr khub nist.) “The market has not been good recently.”
- اخیراً خبری ازت نداریم. (akhiran khabari azat nadârim.) “We haven’t heard from you lately.”
Cultural note
اخیراً appears often in Iranian journalism and everyday news commentary to introduce recent events without specifying exact dates. In conversation it doubles as a social opener: اخیراً چطوری؟ (akhiran chetori, “how have you been lately?”) is a warm, open-ended check-in that invites the other person to share whatever feels current. Its Arabic origin is transparent to educated speakers but does not make it feel foreign in Persian.