What it means
کارفرما (kârfarmâ) is built from کار (kâr, work) and فرما (farmâ), the commanding form of فرمودن (farmudan), meaning to order or direct. Together they produce a word that literally means “one who commands work,” which maps precisely onto the legal and practical sense of employer. Both roots are native Persian. The natural contrast is کارگر (kârgar, worker or laborer) or کارمند (kârmand, employee or office worker).
How to use it
- کارفرمام قراردادم رو تمدید کرد. (kârfarmâm qarârdâdam ro tamdid kard.) “My employer renewed my contract.”
- کارفرما باید بیمه بده. (kârfarmâ bâyad bime bede.) “The employer has to provide insurance.”
- رابطه کارگر و کارفرما مهمه. (râbete-ye kârgar va kârfarmâ mohemme.) “The relationship between worker and employer matters.”
- کارفرمای خوبی داری؟ (kârfarmâ-ye khubi dâri?) “Do you have a good employer?”
Cultural note
Iranian labor law distinguishes sharply between کارفرما (employer) and کارگر (worker), with separate legal frameworks governing their obligations. The word کارفرما appears frequently in formal contracts, labor disputes, and Social Security (تامین اجتماعی) documentation. In everyday speech, people sometimes say رئیس (ra’is, boss) instead when referring to their direct manager, reserving کارفرما for the legal or institutional sense.