What it means
حرام (harâm) means “forbidden, unlawful, prohibited” under Islamic religious law. Arabic loanword, A2 vocabulary, sacred register. Antonym of حلال. Also used in everyday Persian to mean “wasted, ruined, sad shame”, outside its religious sense.
How to use it
- گوشت خوک حرام است (gusht-e khuk harâm ast) “Pork is forbidden”
- حیف و حرام (heyf-o-harâm) “what a shame, what a waste”
- پول حرام (pul-e harâm) “ill-gotten money”
Common pairings
- حلال (halâl) “permitted” (antonym)
- حرامزاده (harâm-zâde) “illegitimate; (vulgar) bastard”
- حرامی (harâmi) “thief, robber, lawless one”
- حیف (heyf) “shame, waste” (often paired)
Religious context
From Arabic حرام (ḥarām, “forbidden, sacred”), root ح ر م, the same root yields حرم (haram, “sanctuary”), حرمت (hormat, “respect, sanctity”), and محرم (mahram, “close family member, intimate”). The double sense (“forbidden” and “sacred”) reflects an old Semitic concept: things set apart, untouchable. In everyday Persian, “حیف و حرام” (heyf-o-harâm) is a frequent expression of regret: “what a sad waste.” The phrase حرامزاده is a serious insult.
References
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