What it means
دیالیز (diyâliz) means dialysis, specifically the kidney dialysis procedure used to filter waste from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do so. The word derives from the Greek διάλυσις (dialysis), meaning dissolution or separation, from διά (through) and λύσις (loosening). It reached Persian via English and French medical usage in the twentieth century. There is no widely used native Persian equivalent for this term: دیالیز is the standard word across clinical, patient-facing, and media contexts alike. The full phrase is often دیالیز کلیه (diyâliz-e kolye), meaning kidney dialysis, to distinguish it from other filtration procedures.
How to use it
- هفتهای سه بار دیالیز میکنم. (hafte-i se bâr diyâliz mikonam.) “I do dialysis three times a week.”
- بیمار به دستگاه دیالیز وصل شد. (bimâr be dastgâh-e diyâliz vasl shod.) “The patient was connected to the dialysis machine.”
- کلیههاش کار نمیکنه، باید دیالیز بشه. (kolyehâsh kâr nemikone, bâyad diyâliz beshe.) “His kidneys aren’t working, he needs dialysis.”
- مرکز دیالیز نزدیک خونهمونه. (markaz-e diyâliz nazdik-e khunemoone.) “The dialysis centre is close to our home.”
Cultural note
Chronic kidney disease and the need for long-term dialysis are significant public health challenges in Iran. The country has a well-organised network of مراکز دیالیز (dialysis centres) affiliated with public hospitals, and many patients receive subsidised treatment through social insurance. Iran is also internationally recognised for its regulated kidney transplant programme, which allows living donors to be compensated, offering patients an alternative to ongoing dialysis. For many Iranian families, managing a relative’s weekly dialysis schedule is a familiar reality.