What it means
کراوات (kerâvât) means necktie, the long strip of fabric knotted at the collar of a dress shirt. Persian borrowed the word from French cravate, which entered French in the seventeenth century as a reference to Croatian mercenary soldiers (Croates) who wore knotted neckerchiefs as part of their uniform. French officers adopted the style, and the word spread across Europe. The term reached Persian during the era of Western-influenced modernisation in Iran. It is the only widely used Persian word for this specific item, with no native synonym in common circulation.
How to use it
- کراواتت کجاست؟ (Kerâvâtat kojâste?) “Where is your tie?”
- نمیتونم کراوات ببندم. (Nemitunam kerâvât bebandam.) “I can’t tie a tie.”
- این کراوات با پیراهنت میاد. (In kerâvât bâ pirâhanat miyâd.) “This tie goes with your shirt.”
- برای مصاحبه کراوات بزن. (Barây-e mosâhebe kerâvât bezan.) “Wear a tie to the interview.”
Cultural note
The کراوات has a complicated history in Iran. During Reza Shah’s modernisation programme in the 1920s and 1930s, wearing a Western-style tie was actively encouraged as a marker of progress. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the necktie became associated with Western cultural influence and fell out of favour in government and religious circles, where it is still considered inappropriate in many official settings. Nevertheless, ties remain common in some private sector professions and among Iranians in diaspora communities. The cultural weight attached to this single item of clothing makes it one of the more politically charged accessories in modern Iranian life.