What it means
خندیدن (khandidan) means to laugh or to chuckle. It is a pure Persian verb with roots going back to Middle Persian, and it covers the full range of laughter, from a quiet chuckle to a full belly laugh. The related noun is خنده (khande), meaning laughter or a smile. A close contrast is لبخند زدن (labkhand zadan), which refers specifically to smiling without sound.
How to use it
- اون خیلی بلند خندید. (Oon kheylee boland khandid.) “He laughed very loudly.”
- نخند، جدی میگم! (Nakhand, jeddi migam!) “Don’t laugh, I am serious!”
- همه از این جوک خندیدن. (Hame az in jok khandidan.) “Everyone laughed at this joke.”
- داری به من میخندی؟ (Daari be man mikhandi?) “Are you laughing at me?”
Cultural note
In Persian poetry and literature, خنده (khande) carries deep symbolic weight. Poets like Hafez use laughter and the smiling lip as images of joy and the beloved’s grace. In everyday Iranian life, laughter is a sign of warmth and social ease, and a guest who laughs freely is seen as comfortable and welcomed. The phrase خنده بر هر درد بیدرمان دواست (laughter is medicine for every incurable pain) reflects how central humor is to Persian coping culture.