What it means
خالی (khâli) means empty, vacant, or bare. The word is borrowed from Arabic خَالٍ (khâlin), the active participle of the root خ-ل-و (KH-L-W) meaning to be empty or unoccupied. In Persian it functions as an adjective describing physical emptiness (an empty glass, a vacant seat) but also emotional hollowness or the absence of something expected. The verb phrase خالی کردن (khâli kardan) means to empty something out, and also colloquially to vent frustration. A separate colloquial idiom is خالی بستن (khâli bastan) or خالی بند (khâli-band), meaning to bluff or exaggerate. In Tehran casual speech خالی is also used to mean free of charge, as in بیا خالی بیا meaning come for free.
How to use it
- شیشه خالیه. (shishe khâliye.) “The bottle is empty.”
- صندلی خالیه، بشین. (sandali khâliye, beshin.) “The seat is empty, sit down.”
- دلم خالی شد وقتی رفت. (delam khâli shod vaghti raft.) “My heart felt hollow when he left.”
- این پارکینگ خالیه؟ (in pârking khâliye?) “Is this parking spot free?”
Cultural note
The phrase دلم خالی شد (my heart emptied) is one of the most commonly heard emotional expressions in Persian. It describes the sudden deflation that comes from disappointment, loss, or shock. Iranians use it for minor letdowns and major grief alike, which reflects how naturally Persian externalizes emotion through spatial and physical metaphor. The heart is imagined as a vessel, and when something goes wrong it empties. The inverse, دلم پره (my heart is full), expresses that one has a lot to say or that emotion is pressing at the surface.
References
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