What it means
اجرا (ejrâ) is an Arabic-origin verbal noun (masdar) from the root ج-ر-ی (j-r-y), meaning “to run, to flow, to carry out.” The noun اجرا captures the act of making something run: executing a plan, performing a piece of music, staging a show, enforcing a law, or implementing a decision. اجرا کردن (ejrâ kardan) is the compound verb meaning to execute, perform, or implement. The word spans a wide range of registers without sounding out of place in any of them: a musician performing on stage is in اجرا, a contractor carrying out a project is in اجرا, and law enforcement implementing a court order is performing اجرای حکم (ejrâ-ye hokm). The breadth of the word reflects its root idea that all of these acts share something essential, making something move and happen in the world.
How to use it
- اجرای برنامه فردا شبه (ejrâ-ye barnâme fardâ shabe) “The performance of the show is tomorrow night.”
- اجرا کردن قانون کار سختیه (ejrâ kardan-e ghânun kâr-e sakhtihe) “Enforcing the law is hard work.”
- طرح اجرا شد (tarh ejrâ shod) “The project was implemented.”
- اجرای خوبی داشت (ejrâ-ye khubi dâsht) “He gave a good performance.”
Cultural note
In the context of live performance, اجرا is the standard word Iranians use for a concert, recital, or theatrical showing. Fans say رفتم اجرا (raftam ejrâ), “I went to the show,” using the noun alone as shorthand for the entire event. The word also appears in the phrase اجرای زنده (ejrâ-ye zende), meaning a live performance, which became especially resonant after decades of restrictions on live music in Iran made live concerts events worth specifically naming and remembering.
References
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