اندیشه

What it means

اندیشه (andishe) means “thought, idea, contemplation.” The Pure Persian alternative to فکر (fekr). B1 vocabulary, dominant in formal writing, philosophy, and Pure Persian Movement contexts. Heavier and more dignified than فکر.

How to use it

• اندیشه‌های نو (andishe-hâ-ye no) “new ideas”
• به اندیشه فرو رفت (be andishe foru raft) “He sank into thought”
• اندیشه آزاد (andishe-ye âzâd) “free thought, free thinking”

Common pairings

• اندیشیدن (andishidan) “to think (formal verb)”
• اندیشمند (andishmand) “thinker, intellectual”
• اندیشه‌ورز (andishe-varz) “thoughtful, contemplative”
• هم‌اندیشی (ham-andishi) “joint thinking, brainstorming”

Pure Persian alternative

From the Persian verb اندیشیدن (andishidan, “to think, contemplate”), itself from Middle Persian handēšīdan. The same root yields پیش‌اندیش (pish-andish, “forward-thinking”) and اندیشمند (andishmand, “thinker”). Used in book titles, philosophy, and formal speech. Despite Pure Persian Movement support, the colloquial فکر dominates everyday Persian.

Pair

This entry pairs with فکر (fekr), the dominant Arabic-origin word in everyday Persian. اندیشه is the Pure Persian alternative used in formal writing and philosophy.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab
• Wiktionary: اندیشه