What it means
چرخ زاپاس (charkh-e zâpâs) means a spare tyre or spare wheel, the extra wheel kept in the boot of a car for emergencies. The phrase pairs two different origins: چرخ (charkh) is a native Persian word meaning wheel or circular object, while زاپاس comes from Russian запас (zapas), meaning reserve or spare stock. Russian loanwords entered Persian alongside Soviet-era trade and technical contact in the twentieth century. زاپاس is also used on its own, or with other words, to mean a backup or reserve item.
How to use it
- چرخ زاپاس تو صندوقه. (charkh-e zâpâs tu sandoqe.) “The spare tyre is in the boot.”
- لاستیکم پنچر شد، باید زاپاس بذارم. (lâstikami panchar shod, bâyad zâpâs bezâram.) “My tyre went flat, I need to put on the spare.”
- چرخ زاپاسم بادش خالیه. (charkh-e zâpâsam bâdash khâliye.) “My spare wheel is flat too.”
- همیشه چرخ زاپاس داشته باش. (hamisha charkh-e zâpâs dâshteh bâsh.) “Always keep a spare tyre.”
Cultural note
Carrying a چرخ زاپاس is a practical necessity on Iranian roads, where long distances between cities and variable road conditions make a flat tyre a real risk. Iranian drivers commonly check the spare before long journeys. Roadside tyre repair shops, known as لاستیکی (lâstiki), are found along most highways, but a working spare buys time in remote stretches. The word زاپاس has also entered everyday Persian as a general adjective meaning backup or extra, beyond its automotive use.