بالش

What it means

بالش (bâlesh) “pillow” is the soft cushion you put under your head to sleep. It is a native Persian word; a common variant is بالشت (bâlesht), and the older or more literary form متکا (mottakâ) means much the same. A pillowcase is روبالشی (ru-bâleshi), literally “the thing over the pillow.”

How to use it

• بالش منو بده (bâlesh-e mano bede) “give me my pillow”
• این بالش خیلی نرمه (in bâlesh kheyli narm-e) “this pillow is very soft”
• روبالشی‌ها رو عوض کن (ru-bâleshi-hâ ro avaz kon) “change the pillowcases”
• سرتو بذار رو بالش (saro bezâr ru bâlesh) “put your head on the pillow”

Cultural note

Beyond the bed pillow, large firm floor cushions, also a kind of bâlesh or called پشتی (poshti), are common in traditional Iranian seating, propped against the wall so people can sit and lean comfortably on the floor. Offering a guest a soft pillow or poshti to lean on is part of making them feel at home.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab