What it means
گلهمند (gele-mand) describes a person who carries a grievance or feels they have cause to complain, usually about the behaviour or neglect of someone close to them. It is built from گله (gele, complaint or grievance) and the native Persian suffix مند (mand), which denotes having or being characterized by something, as in توانمند (capable) or بهرهمند (benefiting). Note that گله here is the complaint-word, not the homograph گله meaning a herd of animals. The tone is neutral to mildly reproachful: gele-mand expresses a sustained inner state, not a loud outburst.
How to use it
- از تو گلهمندم. (az to gele-mandam.) “I have a grievance with you.”
- اون از برادرش گلهمنده. (oon az barâdarash gele-mande.) “They hold a grievance against their brother.”
- چرا گلهمندی؟ بگو چی شده. (chera gele-mandi? begu chi shode.) “Why are you aggrieved? Tell me what happened.”
- نمیخوام هیچکس ازم گلهمند باشه. (nemikham hichkas azam gele-mand bashe.) “I do not want anyone to have a grievance against me.”
Cultural note
The noun گله (complaint, grievance) appears in classical Persian poetry, including Hafez and Sa’di, where it often describes the lover’s lament to the beloved. In everyday modern speech, saying گله دارم (I have a complaint) or calling someone گلهمند is softer than a direct accusation: it opens a conversation rather than closing one. The -mand suffix frames the feeling as a state the person holds, which leaves room for the other party to address it.