What it means
چرخه آب (charkhe-ye âb) is built from two native Persian words: چرخه (charkhe, cycle or wheel) and آب (âb, water). Together they name the hydrological cycle, the continuous path water takes from the surface of the earth through evaporation, cloud formation, precipitation, runoff, and back to the ground. Unlike many scientific terms in Persian, this one is a fully native coinage and feels natural even to speakers with no science background. The formal academic equivalent sometimes used is چرخه هیدرولوژیک (charkhe-ye hidrolozik, hydrological cycle), but چرخه آب is preferred in schools and everyday explanation.
How to use it
- چرخه آب شامل تبخیر، بارش و جریان آب است. (Charkhe-ye âb shâmel-e tabkhir, bâresh va jaryân-e âb ast.) “The water cycle includes evaporation, precipitation, and water flow.”
- گرمایش زمین چرخه آب را تغییر میدهد. (Garmâyesh-e zamin charkhe-ye âb râ taghyir mi-dahad.) “Global warming is changing the water cycle.”
- معلم چرخه آب را روی تخته رسم کرد. (Mo’allem charkhe-ye âb râ ruye takhte rasm kard.) “The teacher drew the water cycle on the board.”
- درک چرخه آب برای حفاظت از منابع آبی مهم است. (Darak-e charkhe-ye âb barây-e hefâzat az manâbe’-e âbi mohemm ast.) “Understanding the water cycle is important for protecting water resources.”
Cultural note
Water scarcity has made چرخه آب a topic of genuine public concern in Iran, not just a classroom concept. Iran is classified as an arid country, with average annual rainfall well below the global mean, and disruptions to the water cycle from drought and over-extraction are covered regularly in Iranian media. The ancient qanat system, underground channels that have transported groundwater for thousands of years, reflects how central water management has been to Persian civilization, giving چرخه آب a cultural weight beyond its scientific meaning.