What it means
استفراغ (estefrâgh) means “vomiting” or “throwing up.” It is an Arabic loanword whose root literally carries the sense of emptying out, which fits what the body does. In Persian it is the neutral, all purpose term you will hear from a doctor, a parent, or a friend who feels sick. A more colloquial alternative is بالا آوردن (bâlâ âvardan), “to bring up,” which sounds softer in casual talk, while استفراغ feels a touch more clinical.
How to use it
- حالم بده، فکر کنم استفراغ کنم. (hâlam bade, fekr konam estefrâgh konam.) “I feel sick, I think I’m going to vomit.”
- بچه دیشب چند بار استفراغ کرد. (bache dishab chand bâr estefrâgh kard.) “The kid vomited a few times last night.”
- بعد از غذا حالت تهوع و استفراغ داشت. (ba’d az ghazâ hâlat-e tahavvo’ va estefrâgh dâsht.) “After the meal he had nausea and vomiting.”
- اگه استفراغ ادامه داشت، برو دکتر. (age estefrâgh edâme dâsht, boro doktor.) “If the vomiting continues, go to the doctor.”
Cultural note
استفراغ is the word that appears on medicine labels, in clinics, and in conversations with doctors, so learners hear it early when discussing illness. In gentler or more polite company, especially around children or food, many speakers switch to بالا آوردن or simply حالت تهوع (hâlat-e tahavvo’, “nausea”) to avoid sounding blunt. The verb is formed with the light verb کردن: استفراغ کردن (estefrâgh kardan), “to vomit.”