What it means
قرار (gharâr) is borrowed from Arabic, built on the root ق-ر-ر (q-r-r), which carries the idea of settling, being fixed, or coming to rest. In Persian it has developed into one of the most frequent everyday nouns, covering three overlapping senses. First, it means an agreement or arrangement: قرار گذاشتیم (gharâr gozâshtim) means we agreed or we made a plan. Second, it describes a scheduled meeting or appointment: قرار دارم (gharâr dâram) means I have an appointment. Third, it expresses stability or composure: قرار ندارم (gharâr nadâram) means I have no peace of mind or I cannot settle down. The phrase قرار است (gharâr ast) before a verb functions as the equivalent of supposed to or it is planned that.
How to use it
- قرار بود ساعت سه بیای. (gharâr bud sâ’at-e se biyâi) “You were supposed to come at three.”
- قرار فردا داریم. (gharâr-e fardâ dârim) “We have a meeting tomorrow.”
- دلم قرار نداره. (delam gharâr nadâre) “My heart has no peace.”
- قرارمون چیه؟ (gharâremun chiye) “What is our plan, then?”
Cultural note
قرار is so embedded in spoken Persian that it functions almost as a grammatical particle. قرار است followed by a verb is the standard way to say something is planned or expected, and leaving it out would leave a sentence feeling incomplete. The phrase قرار و مدار گذاشتن (gharâr o madâr gozâshtan, to make arrangements) is a fuller idiom that appears in both spoken and written Persian. The word also survives in classical poetry in its sense of composure or stillness, a reminder of its Arabic roots and long presence in the language.