What it means
دهنبین (dahan-bin) is a compound built from دهن (dahan, “mouth”) and بین (bin, the present stem of دیدن, “to see”). Literally “mouth-watcher,” it describes someone who studies the speaker’s face and lips to figure out what answer will please them, then delivers that answer. The closest English equivalents are sycophant, yes-man, or someone who “reads the room” for self-interested reasons. A related expression is چاپلوس (chaplus), which leans more toward flattery; دهنبین emphasizes the calculating, watchful quality.
How to use it
- اون آدم دهنبینه، هر چی بگی تایید میکنه. (un âdam dahan-bine, har chi begi ta’id mikoné.) “That guy is a total yes-man, he agrees with whatever you say.”
- تو جلسه دهنبین نباش، نظر خودت رو بگو. (tu jalase dahan-bin nabash, nazar khodat ro begu.) “Don’t be a sycophant in the meeting, say what you actually think.”
- این شرکت پر از دهنبینه، کسی جرات انتقاد نداره. (in sherkat por az dahan-bine, kasi jor’at enteghaad naadare.) “This company is full of yes-men, nobody dares to criticize.”
- من دهنبین نیستم، اگه اشتباه کنی بهت میگم. (man dahan-bin nistam, age eshtebaah koni behet migam.) “I am not a sycophant. If you make a mistake I will tell you.”
Cultural note
In Iranian workplace and family culture, direct disagreement with someone of higher status has historically been uncomfortable, which creates fertile ground for دهنبین behavior. The word carries a distinct note of contempt: calling someone دهنبین is not a neutral observation but an accusation of spinelessness. It differs from تعارف (ta’arof), which is a social ritual of politeness that everyone understands as ritual. دهنبین implies genuine dishonesty aimed at personal gain.