هرچه

What it means

هرچه (harche) is a compound pronoun and conjunction built from هر (har, every/any) and چه (che, what/that). Together they mean whatever, anything that, or all that. The word works in two distinct constructions. In the first, it introduces a relative clause: هرچه بخوای (harche bekhâhi, whatever you want), هرچه داری (harche dâri, whatever you have). In the second and very frequent construction, هرچه functions as a correlative meaning the more: هرچه بیشتر تمرین کنی، بهتر می‌شی (harche bishtar tamrin koni, behtar mishi, the more you practice, the better you get). This correlative pattern is extremely productive in Persian and appears in proverbs, advice, and everyday speech. The related هر چیزی (har chizi) is a common alternative in the first sense but cannot replace هرچه in the correlative construction.

How to use it

• هرچه بخوای بگو. (harche bekhâyi begu.) “Say whatever you want.”
• هرچه زودتر، بهتر. (harche zudtar, behtar.) “The sooner the better.”
• هرچه گفتم گوش نداد. (harche goftam gush nadâd.) “Whatever I said, he didn’t listen.”
• هرچه پول داری خرج نکن. (harche pul dâri kharj nakon.) “Don’t spend all the money you have.”

Cultural note

The correlative use of هرچه is the backbone of many Persian proverbs and folk sayings. A well-known example is هرچه بکاری همان را درو خواهی کرد (harche bekâri hamân râ deru khâhi kard, you will reap what you sow). The construction shows up so naturally in Persian speech that it is one of those patterns learners should internalize early, because it unlocks a way of expressing proportional relationships that Iranians reach for instinctively.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab