فرش

What it means

فرش (farsh) means “carpet” or “rug,” the textile covering spread on the floor. It is a pure Persian word and the general term for any floor covering of this kind, from a small machine-made rug to the famous hand-knotted Persian carpet (فرش دستباف). A smaller rug or runner is a قالیچه, and قالی is a near-synonym often used for the knotted carpet specifically.

How to use it

• فرش رو پهن کن (farsh ro pahn kon) “spread out the carpet”
• فرش رو جارو بکش (farsh ro jâru bekesh) “vacuum the carpet”
• این فرش دستبافه (in farsh dastbâfe) “this carpet is hand-woven”
• کفش رو فرش نه (kafsh ru farsh na) “no shoes on the carpet”

Cultural note

The فرش is often the most valuable object in an Iranian home and is treated with care, walked on in socks or indoor shoes, never with street shoes. A good carpet is a common dowry item and is sometimes handed down through generations, with families taking it out once a year for a thorough wash (قالی‌شویی).

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab