What it means
دلواپسی (delvâpasi) is the noun form of دلواپس (delvâpas), meaning worried or anxious. It is built from دل (del, heart) and واپس (vâpas, held back or behind), giving a sense of the heart being held in check, unable to move forward freely. Delvapasi names a sustained, caring kind of worry, often directed at another person, such as a child who has not come home, a friend in difficulty, or a situation beyond your control. It is broader and calmer than the more visceral دلهره (delhore, dread) or دلشوره (del-shure, nagging anxiety). A near synonym is نگرانی (negarani), though delvapasi often implies a warmer, more protective concern.
How to use it
- دلواپستم. (delvâpasatam.) “I am worried about you.”
- دلواپسی نداشته باش. (delvâpasi nadâshte bâsh.) “Do not worry.”
- دلواپسیام بیخودی نبود. (delvâpasi-am bikhodi nabud.) “My worry was not for nothing.”
- ازش دلواپسم چون خبری نداره. (azash delvâpasam chon khabari nadâre.) “I am worried about them because there is no news.”
Cultural note
Delvapasi often surfaces in the context of family bonds: parents say it about children, spouses say it to each other, and friends use it to show they care. Because it implies genuine emotional investment in another person’s wellbeing, expressing delvapasi is also a way of signalling love and closeness. The word appears in song lyrics and literature as a marker of devoted concern, which gives it a slightly warmer register than the more neutral نگرانی.