What it means
کدر (kadr) describes something that is not clear: water clouded with sediment, glass fogged with condensation, or a colour that has lost its brightness and looks muddy. The word comes from Arabic كَدِر (kadir), built on the root ك-د-ر (k-d-r) meaning turbid or muddied. In Persian it is used both literally for murky water or a dull surface, and figuratively to describe a mood: حال کدری داشتم (hâl-e kadri dâshtam, I was in a dull and low mood). Its antonym is شفاف (shafâf, transparent or clear). Note that کدر and مات (mât, matte) overlap in some uses but are not the same: مات emphasises the absence of shine, while کدر emphasises cloudiness or a loss of clarity.
How to use it
- آب رودخونه بعد از بارون کدره. (Âb-e rudkhune ba’d az bârun kadreh.) “The river water is murky after the rain.”
- شیشه کثیف شده، کدر میبینه. (Shishe kasif shode, kadr mibine.) “The window has gotten dirty, it looks clouded.”
- حالم امروز یکم کدره. (Hâlam emruz yekam kadreh.) “I am feeling a bit down today.”
- رنگ دیوار با گرد و غبار کدر شده. (Rang-e divâr bâ gard-o-ghobâr kadr shode.) “The wall colour has gone dull from dust.”
Cultural note
The Arabic root ك-د-ر (k-d-r) carries a wide semantic field in Arabic, covering turbid water, a troubled mind, and an unsettled state. Persian borrowed the word and extended the figurative use even further: expressions like حال کدر (hâl-e kadr, a low or troubled mood) are common in spoken Persian and appear in classical poetry to describe spiritual unease or grief. The contrast between آب شفاف (âb-e shafâf, clear water) and آب کدر (âb-e kadr, turbid water) is a recurring image in Persian literature, where clear water represents truthfulness and کدر water symbolises confusion or corruption of spirit.