دکتر
doktor
doctor (colloquial)
nounA1
Quick Reference
DOK-tor
doctor (colloquial)
A1 — Absolute Beginner
دکتر pronounced by Elyar
What it means
دکتر (doktor) means “doctor.” It is a European loanword (via French and Russian) and covers both medical doctors and academic PhD holders. Far more common in spoken Persian than the formal پزشک.
How to use it
- آقای دکتر (âghâ-ye doktor) “Doctor (sir)”
- خانم دکتر (khânom-e doktor) “Doctor (madam)”
- میرم دکتر (miram doktor) “I’m going to the doctor” (colloquial)
Common pairings and workplace context
- دکتر دندانپزشک (doktor-e dandân-pezeshk) “dentist”
- دکتر چشمپزشک (doktor-e cheshm-pezeshk) “eye doctor”
- مطب دکتر (matabb-e doktor) “doctor’s office”
- دکتر اعصاب (doktor-e a’sâb) “neurologist”
Cultural note
In Iran, addressing someone as آقای دکتر or خانم دکتر signals respect even outside medical contexts. A PhD holder, a pharmacist, and a surgeon all answer to دکتر, and at family gatherings the title sticks for life. Children playing pretend say دکتر بازی (doktor bâzi) “doctor game,” the equivalent of “playing doctor.”
References
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In Iran, addressing someone as آقای دکتر or خانم دکتر signals respect even outside medical contexts. A PhD holder, a pharmacist, and a surgeon all answer to دکتر, and at family gatherings the title sticks for life. Children playing pretend say دکتر بازی (doktor bâzi) "doctor game," the equivalent of "playing doctor."Connected Words