What it means
کپسول (kapsul) refers to a medicine capsule, the small gelatin or hard-shell container that holds a dose of powdered or liquid medicine. The word comes from French capsule, which Dehkhoda and Moein both label as فرانسوی (French). The French word itself traces back to Latin capsula, a small box or case. In practice, کپسول and قرص (qors, tablet) are the two main forms of oral medicine a pharmacist will ask you to choose between.
How to use it
- این دارو به صورت کپسوله (in dâru be surat-e kapsule) “this medicine comes in capsule form”
- کپسول رو باز نکن (kapsul ro bâz nakon) “don’t open the capsule”
- دو تا کپسول صبح و شب (do tâ kapsul sobh o shab) “two capsules morning and night”
- کپسول آنتی بیوتیک داری؟ (kapsul-e ântibiotik dâri?) “do you have antibiotic capsules?”
Cultural note
Many antibiotics and supplements in Iran are dispensed as کپسول rather than قرص because the capsule shell masks bitter tastes and makes swallowing easier. In Persian pharmacies, when you ask for a medicine, the pharmacist will often ask قرص میخوای یا کپسول؟ (do you want tablet or capsule?) if both forms are available. The word is used identically in both formal medical writing and everyday conversation.