What it means
کاشتن (kashtan) is the Persian infinitive meaning “to plant” or “to sow.” You use it when putting seeds, seedlings, bulbs, or cuttings into soil. The verb is native Persian, tracing back to Old Iranian roots, and is the base for related words like کشاورزی (keshavarzi, agriculture) and کشت (kesht, crop or cultivation). The present stem is کار (kar-), so “I plant” is میکارم (mi-karam). A related but distinct verb is کَندن (kandan, to dig or uproot), which is the opposite action.
How to use it
- میخوام توی باغچه گل بکارم. (mikham tu-ye baghche gol bekaram.) “I want to plant flowers in the garden bed.”
- بهار خوبه که بذر بکاریم. (bahar khube ke bazr bekarim.) “Spring is a good time to sow seeds.”
- این درخت رو کی کاشت؟ (in derakht ro ki kasht?) “Who planted this tree?”
- درخت میوه کاشتیم تو حیاط. (derakht-e mive kashtim tu-ye hayat.) “We planted a fruit tree in the yard.”
Cultural note
Planting has special significance in Iranian culture, particularly at Nowruz when families sow wheat or lentil seeds two weeks before the New Year to grow سبزه (sabze, green sprouts) for the haft-sin table. The act of کاشتن seeds and watching them sprout is tied symbolically to renewal and the start of spring. In classical Persian poetry, کاشتن also appears metaphorically, describing the planting of love, hope, or virtue in the heart.