دست

What it means

دست (dast) means “hand.” Native Persian word from Old Persian *dasta-. Lives at the center of dozens of Persian idioms about agency, power, gift-giving, and loss.

How to use it

• دستت را بشور (dastat râ beshur) “Wash your hand”
• دست راست (dast-e râst) “right hand”
• دست چپ (dast-e chap) “left hand”

Common pairings and idioms (a small selection)

• دست به دست (dast be dast) “from hand to hand”
• دست خالی (dast-e khâli) “empty-handed”
• دست به کار شدن (dast be kâr shodan) “to start working” (literally “hand to work”)
• دست مریزاد (dast-e marizâd) “may your hand not weary” (compliment for a job well done)
• دست از سر کسی برداشتن (dast az sar-e kasi bardâshtan) “to leave someone alone” (literally “to take one’s hand off someone’s head”)

Plural and forms

• دست‌ها (dast-hâ) “hands”
• دستم (dastam) “my hand”
• دستت (dastat) “your hand”

Register

Neutral. Universal across all Persian registers.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab