What it means
چشمک زدن (cheshmak zadan) means to wink, specifically the quick closing of one eye to signal something to another person, whether flirting, sharing a secret, or joking. The noun چشمک (cheshmak) is a diminutive form of چشم (cheshm, eye), making it a fully native Persian word meaning something like a little eye-action or eye-flash. Combined with زدن (zadan), the all-purpose Persian light-action verb, the compound is colloquial and warm in tone. There is no single-word equivalent in everyday spoken Persian; this compound form is the standard way to describe a wink.
How to use it
- بهم چشمک زد و خندید. (Beham cheshmak zad o khandid.) “He winked at me and laughed.”
- داشت به دوستش چشمک میزد. (Dasht be dustash cheshmak mizad.) “She was winking at her friend.”
- اون چشمک زد یعنی شوخی میکرد. (Oon cheshmak zad yani shukhi mikard.) “He winked, meaning he was joking.”
- بچهها بهم چشمک زدن که چیزی نگم. (Bache-ha beham cheshmak zadan ke chizi nagam.) “The kids winked at me so I wouldn’t say anything.”
Cultural note
In Iran, winking carries much the same social signals as it does in other cultures: playfulness, shared conspiracy, mild flirtation, or a signal that something said is not meant literally. Among friends and family it is completely normal and light-hearted. In a more formal or mixed-gender public setting, winking at a stranger can be read as forward or disrespectful, so Iranians tend to reserve it for people they know well. Persian comedic performance and cinema use چشمک زدن frequently as a visual shorthand for irony or inside jokes.