What it means
عوارض (avârez) means tolls, levies, or duties. It is the Arabic plural of عارضه (âreze), and its formal register makes it the term of choice in official documents, highway signage, and customs declarations. In practice, Iranians use it for highway tolls, municipal service fees, and import duties alike. It differs from مالیات (mâliyât), which applies to income and profit: عوارض tends to attach to specific transactions, passages, or goods rather than to annual earnings.
How to use it
- عوارض آزادراه رو پرداخت کردم. (avârez-e âzâdrâh ro pardâkht kardam.) “I paid the motorway toll.”
- عوارض گمرکی کالا چقدره؟ (avârez-e gomroki-ye kâlâ cheghadre?) “How much is the customs duty on the goods?”
- شهرداری عوارض نوسازی میگیره. (shahrdâri avârez-e navsâzi migire.) “The municipality collects building renovation levies.”
- این محصول معاف از عوارض هست. (in mahsul moâf az avârez hast.) “This product is exempt from duties.”
Cultural note
In Iran, عوارض appears on everything from motorway toll receipts to municipal property notices. Highway tolls on Iran’s network of âzâdrâh (expressways) are paid at physical booths and are formally labeled عوارض. Customs duties levied at the border are also referred to as عوارض گمرکی, distinguishing them from tariffs set by the Ministry of Finance.