What it means
کف دست (kaf-e dast) is the everyday Persian word for the palm of the hand, the soft inner part you use to grip a cup, push a door, or hold something. It joins two words of different origins: کف (kaf), which means palm or the flat underside of a surface, and دست (dast), which means hand. In the sense of “palm,” کف comes from Arabic كَفّ (kaff), while دست is a native Persian word going back to Old Persian. The same word کف also describes the sole of the foot when you say کف پا (kaf-e pa). The opposite side, the back of the hand, is پشت دست (posht-e dast).
How to use it
- کف دستم خاکی شد. (kaf-e dastam khaki shod.) “My palm got dusty.”
- قرص رو بذار کف دستت. (ghors ro bezar kaf-e dastet.) “Put the pill on your palm.”
- کف دستش عرق کرده بود. (kaf-e dastesh aragh karde bood.) “His palm was sweaty.”
- دستتو باز کن، کف دستتو ببینم. (dasteto baz kon, kaf-e dasteto bebinam.) “Open your hand, let me see your palm.”
Cultural note
In Iran, reading the lines of the palm, called کف بینی (kaf-bini), is a familiar folk tradition, often done playfully at gatherings. There is also a common saying, مثل کف دست (mesl-e kaf-e dast), meaning to know something as well as the palm of your hand, used when someone knows a place or topic perfectly. The palm comes up often in everyday gestures too, such as offering or receiving something with an open hand.