ایستگاه

What it means

ایستگاه (istgâh) means “station,” literally “stopping place.” Pure Persian compound from ایست (ist, “stop, halt,” from ایستادن istâdan “to stand”) plus گاه (gâh, “place”). Used for bus, train, metro, and radio stations.

How to use it

• ایستگاه اتوبوس (istgâh-e otobus) “bus station, bus stop”
• ایستگاه قطار (istgâh-e qatâr) “train station”
• توی ایستگاه بعدی پیاده می‌شوم (tuye istgâh-e ba’di piyâde mishavam) “I get off at the next station”

Common pairings

• ایستگاه مترو (istgâh-e metro) “metro station”
• ایستگاه رادیویی (istgâh-e râdyo’i) “radio station”
• ایست (ist) “stop!” (also a traffic sign command)

Etymology

Built from the same Indo-European root *steh₂- (“to stand”) that gives English “stand,” “station,” and Latin stare. The گاه suffix mirrors فرودگاه (forudgâh, “airport”) and دانشگاه (dâneshgâh, “university”), a productive Persian pattern for places.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab