What it means
کاغذبری (kâghaz-bori) refers to the craft of cutting paper into decorative shapes and patterns, from simple children’s scissor crafts to fine decorative art. The compound joins کاغذ (kâghaz), meaning paper, which Persian borrowed from Sogdian (itself possibly from Old Chinese), with بُری (bori), derived from the native Persian verb بریدن (boridan), to cut. The word is a mixed-origin compound because of this cross-language pairing. A closely related term is کاردستی (kârdasti), which covers handcraft activities more broadly.
How to use it
- بچهها کاغذبری یاد گرفتن. (bachehâ kâghaz-bori yâd gereftan.) “The children learned paper cutting.”
- کاغذبری هنر ظریفیه. (kâghaz-bori honar-e zarifiye.) “Paper cutting is a delicate art.”
- تو کلاس هنر کاغذبری کردیم. (tu kelâs-e honar kâghaz-bori kardim.) “We did paper cutting in art class.”
- این طرح با کاغذبری دستی ساخته شده. (in tarh bâ kâghaz-bori-ye dasti sâkhte shode.) “This pattern was made with hand paper cutting.”
Cultural note
Decorative paper cutting has a presence in Iranian folk craft traditions, where cut paper motifs appear in window decorations, craft fairs, and school art curricula. The broader category of کاردستی (handcraft) is a standard subject in Iranian primary schools, and کاغذبری is one of its most accessible exercises, requiring only scissors and paper. More refined paper cutting also appears in contemporary Iranian decorative arts.