What it means
بند رخت (band-e rakht) is the clothesline: a rope, cord, or wire stretched between two points on which washed clothes are hung to dry. The compound joins بند (band), meaning cord, strap, or tie, with رخت (rakht), an older Persian word for clothing or garments. Both elements are native Persian. رخت on its own, while slightly literary today, is still alive in compound words and fixed phrases. The more colloquial word for clothing is لباس, but in the compound بند رخت the word rakht is fixed and not interchangeable.
How to use it
- لباسا رو انداختم رو بند رخت. (lebâsâ ro andâkhtam ru band-e rakht.) “I hung the clothes on the line.”
- بند رخت پر از لباسه. (band-e rakht por az lebâse.) “The clothesline is full of clothes.”
- بند رخت تو حیاط داریم. (band-e rakht tu hayât dârim.) “We have a clothesline in the yard.”
- لباسا از رو بند رخت جمع کن. (lebâsâ az ru band-e rakht jam’ kon.) “Collect the clothes from the line.”
Cultural note
In Iran, rooftops (پشتبام) and enclosed courtyards (حیاط) have traditionally been the main places to hang laundry, and بند رخت strung between walls or poles remains common in apartments and houses alike. Strong afternoon sun in most Iranian cities means clothes dry quickly, and many households prefer line-drying over tumble dryers for everyday items. The phrase لباس انداختن رو بند رخت (hanging clothes on the line) is natural spoken Persian that any B1 learner should recognize.