What it means
چراغ راهنما (cheragh-e rahnama) is the indicator light, or turn signal, fitted to a vehicle. The compound is entirely native Persian: چراغ (cheragh) means lamp or light, and راهنما (rahnama) means guide or indicator, itself built from راه (rah, road) and نما (nama, showing). Together the phrase means literally “the light that shows the way.” In casual speech Iranians sometimes shorten it to just راهنما, and you may also hear فلاشر (flasher), borrowed from English “flasher,” in workshop and mechanic contexts.
How to use it
- چراغ راهنمات رو بزن. (cheragh-e rahnamat ro bezan.) “Put your indicator on.”
- چراغ راهنمای ماشین سوخته. (cheragh-e rahnama-ye mashin sukhte.) “The car’s indicator bulb has gone.”
- بدون چراغ راهنما پیچید. (bedun-e cheragh-e rahnama pichid.) “He turned without using his indicator.”
- راهنما میزنم و میپیچم. (rahnama mizanam o mipicham.) “I’ll signal and then turn.”
Cultural note
Use of the چراغ راهنما is legally required in Iran when changing lanes or turning, but driving instructors and road-safety campaigns regularly note that the indicator is one of the most commonly skipped steps among Iranian drivers. Lane changes without signalling are frequent enough that anticipating them is considered a basic urban driving skill. The word راهنما on its own is also the standard term for a road guide or navigation app, so context usually makes the meaning clear.