جوراب (jurâb) is the word for sock, and in Iranian etiquette it gets more attention than English speakers might expect. Shoes come off, socks stay on, and a hole in the heel is suddenly very visible.
What it actually means
جوراب means sock or stocking. The word covers ankle socks, dress socks, knee-highs, and traditional thick wool socks worn in winter. Persian counts socks as pairs the same way English does: یک جفت جوراب (yek joft jurâb) “a pair of socks.” In everyday speech the word stays simple and neutral, but it gets more weight than the English equivalent because of where the shoe lands at an Iranian doorway. Once کفش comes off, جوراب is on display. People notice. Hosts will quietly offer slippers if a guest looks uncomfortable. The whole social moment turns on this one small piece of clothing.
How to say it
Formal
jurâb
“sock”
جوراب
Colloquial (Tehrani)
jurâb
unchanged in Tehran speech
جوراب
The vowel â in the second syllable is long and open. Stress falls on the second syllable: ju-RÂB.
How to use it
- جورابم پاره است. · jurâb-am pâre-ast. · My sock has a hole in it.
- جوراب پشمی پوشیدم. · jurâb-e pashmi pushidam. · I wore wool socks.
- یک جفت جوراب نو میخوام. · yek joft jurâb-e no mikhâm. · I want a new pair of socks. (colloquial)
Common pairings
- جوراب پشمی (jurâb-e pashmi) “wool socks”
- جوراب نخی (jurâb-e nakhi) “cotton socks”
- جوراب شلواری (jurâb-shalvâri) “tights, pantyhose”
- جوراب پاره (jurâb-e pâre) “a sock with a hole in it”
Cultural note
The word جوراب is a Turkic loan that entered Persian centuries ago through long contact with Turkic-speaking peoples on the Iranian plateau. The same root sits in modern Turkish as çorap and in Azerbaijani as corab. The connection is one of many quiet borrowings that flowed both directions between Persian and Turkic languages over the medieval period. Practically, جوراب-awareness is part of visiting Iran: travelers learn to keep a clean, hole-free pair on whenever they expect to enter a home, mosque, or shrine. There is no shame in a worn sock, but Iranians do notice. Slippers are sometimes offered. A quiet exchange of dignity at the doorway.
Related
You’ll see this word together with کفش (kafsh) “shoe” and شلوار (shalvâr) “trousers.” For more on Iranian etiquette at the front door, see our unwritten rules of Iranian hospitality.
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