What it means
اذیت کردن (aziyat kardan) is a compound verb formed from the Arabic-origin noun اذیت (aziyat, harm, annoyance, or discomfort) and the light verb کردن (kardan, to do or to make). The noun اذیت entered Persian from Arabic, where the root أ-ذ-ی (a-dh-y) relates to causing harm or distress. In everyday spoken Persian, aziyat kardan covers a wide arc of meaning: from mild annoyance, as in a dripping tap that bothers you, to real emotional or physical hurt. Its passive counterpart اذیت شدن (aziyat shodan) means to be hurt, to feel upset, or to be troubled. The verb is neutral in register and appears constantly in family conversations, among friends, and in any situation where someone is causing another person discomfort.
How to use it
- اذیتم نکن (aziyatam nakon) “Don’t bother me.”
- بچهها همدیگه رو اذیت میکنن (bachehâ hamdigar ro aziyat mikonan) “The kids are bothering each other.”
- از دستش اذیت شدم (az dastesh aziyat shodam) “I was hurt by what he did.”
- پام اذیت میکنه (pâm aziyat mikone) “My foot is bothering me.”
Cultural note
اذیت کردن carries a notably broad emotional range in Persian that single English words struggle to match. A Persian speaker might use it for physical pain (a tight shoe), interpersonal friction (a teasing sibling), emotional hurt (a hurtful remark), and even an animal causing trouble. In Iranian family speech, اذیتم نکن is among the first full sentences children learn to say, and hearing a parent say اذیت شدم carries a weight of quiet disappointment that often lands harder than direct anger.
References
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