What it means
بازیگر (bâzigar) means actor or performer. The word is built entirely from Persian parts: بازی (bâzi) means play or game, and the suffix گر (‑gar) means one who does. Together they give you the person who plays, that is, the actor. A close related word is هنرپیشه (honar-pishe), a more literary synonym that also means actor but carries a slightly more elevated tone. In everyday speech, بازیگر is the standard choice for both film and theatre.
How to use it
- او یک بازیگر معروف سینماست. (u yek bâzigar-e ma’ruf-e sinamâst.) “He is a famous cinema actor.”
- دوست دارم بازیگر بشم. (dust dâram bâzigar besham.) “I want to become an actor.”
- این بازیگر خیلی خوب بازی کرد. (in bâzigar kheyli khub bâzi kard.) “This actor performed very well.”
- بازیگرهای ایرانی جوایز بینالمللی گرفتند. (bâzigarhâ-ye irâni javâyez-e beyn-ol-melali gereftand.) “Iranian actors have won international awards.”
Cultural note
Iranian cinema has produced actors of international standing, and the word بازیگر carries real prestige in contemporary Persian culture. Directors such as Asghar Farhadi have brought Iranian performers to Cannes and the Academy Awards, making the word familiar even beyond Iran. On stage, the theatre tradition in Tehran is centered around the City Theater (تئاتر شهر) in Daneshjoo Park, which has nurtured generations of بازیگر who work across film, television, and live performance.