What it means
انداختن (andâkhtan) means “to throw,” “to drop,” or “to cast.” Its present stem is andâz (انداز); the related noun اندازه (andâze, with a short final -e) means “size” or “measure.” The verb traces back to Middle Persian and is entirely native to the language. In everyday use it covers both throwing something intentionally and dropping it by accident. It also appears in fixed expressions such as عکس انداختن (aks andâkhtan, to take a photo, literally to cast an image) and نگاه انداختن (negâh andâkhtan, to glance). A close synonym for deliberate throwing is پرتاب کردن (partâb kardan), which sounds more formal.
How to use it
- توپ رو بنداز! (tup ro bendâz!) “Throw the ball!”
- گوشیم رو انداختم. (gushiam ro andâkhtam.) “I dropped my phone.”
- یه نگاه انداخت. (ye negâh andâkht.) “He took a quick glance.”
- لباسامو تو ماشین لباسشویی انداختم. (lebâsâmo tu mâshin-e lebâsshui andâkhtam.) “I threw my clothes in the washing machine.”
Cultural note
انداختن carries a wider semantic range than a simple English “throw.” In Persian conversation, عکس انداختن (taking a photo) is the colloquial standard, more common than عکس گرفتن among older speakers in certain regions. The verb also appears in idiomatic blame: گناهش رو انداختن سر من (gunâhesh ro andâkhtan sar-e man) means “they put the blame on me,” literally “they threw its sin on my head.” These extended uses make andâkhtan a verb worth learning beyond its literal meaning.