What it means
حسرت (hasrat) names a feeling of longing regret, a bittersweet ache for something lost, missed, or never attained. The word is borrowed from Arabic حسرة (hasra), from the root ح-س-ر (h-s-r), which carries the sense of grief and regret. In Persian it is used both as a noun and in set phrases. A closely related word is آرزو (ârezu), which is a simple wish or longing without the pain of loss that حسرت carries.
How to use it
- حسرت اون روزا رو میخورم. (hasrat-e oon roozâ ro mikhuram) “I pine for those days.”
- با حسرت نگاهش کرد. (bâ hasrat negâhash kard) “He looked at him with longing.”
- حسرت دیدنتو داشتم. (hasrat-e didaneto dashtam) “I had been yearning to see you.”
- نمیخوام حسرت چیزی رو بخورم. (nemikham hasrat-e chizi ro bekhuram) “I don’t want to regret missing out on anything.”
Cultural note
حسرت is one of the most emotionally resonant words in Persian literature. Classical poets, including Hafez and Rumi, use it to describe longing for the beloved, for a lost homeland, or for union with the divine. In modern everyday speech it keeps that emotional depth: saying حسرتشو خوردم means you missed something and feel the ache of that loss. The phrase حسرت خوردن, literally eating regret, is idiomatic and very common.