What it means
دوشاخه (do-shâkhe) means “plug,” the part at the end of an electrical cord that you push into a socket to power a device. It is a pure Persian compound: دو (do) “two” plus شاخه (shâkhe) “branch, prong,” so it literally describes the two-pronged piece you plug in. The useful contrast is پریز (priz), which is the socket or outlet on the wall that the دوشاخه goes into. A plug with three pins, the grounded kind, is called سهشاخه (se-shâkhe).
How to use it
- دوشاخه رو بزن به برق (do-shâkhe ro bezan be barq) “plug it into the power”
- دوشاخه رو از پریز بکش (do-shâkhe ro az priz bekesh) “pull the plug out of the socket”
- این دوشاخه به پریز نمیخوره (in do-shâkhe be priz nemikhore) “this plug doesn’t fit the socket”
- دوشاخه شارژرم خراب شده (do-shâkhe-ye shârzharam kharâb shode) “my charger’s plug is broken”
Cultural note
Iran runs on 220 to 230 volts, and homes use the round-pin European style of socket, so the دوشاخه you see has two round pins rather than the flat blades common in North America. Travelers usually need an adapter for their own دوشاخه to fit an Iranian پریز. Parents often warn small children not to touch the دوشاخه or poke at the پریز, so the word comes up early in everyday family life.