خسته

خسته means tired. But the phrase خسته نباشید is so distinctively Iranian it has no clean English equivalent.

What it actually means

خسته means “tired” in Persian, used for physical or mental fatigue. The word slots into any sentence about energy levels: “خیلی خسته‌م” (I’m very tired), “خسته شدم” (I got tired). But the word’s cultural weight comes from a fixed phrase: خسته نباشید (khaste nabashid), literally “may you not be tired.” Iranians say this to anyone they see working: the taxi driver after they get out, the store clerk after the transaction, the cook after a meal, the host after a long visit, anyone who has been on their feet or working. There is no clean English equivalent. “Thanks for your hard work” gets close but feels stiff. “Take care” is too casual. خسته نباشید threads acknowledgment, respect, and a soft goodbye into a single phrase, and Iranians use it dozens of times a day.

How to say it

The word is invariant. The state-verb form attaches the verb بودن (to be) directly: خسته‌ام (khaste-am, I am tired), خسته‌ای (khaste-ī, you are tired), خسته است (khaste ast, he/she is tired, often shortened to خسته‌ست). The dynamic form uses شدن (to become): خسته شدم (khaste shodam, I got tired). The fixed phrase خسته نباشید uses negative subjunctive of بودن: “may you not be tired.”

In a sentence

Cultural note

خسته نباشید is one of the most distinctive features of Iranian conversation. The phrase is so embedded that signs in Iranian shops sometimes greet workers with “خسته نباشید” at shift change. Iranians say it to bus drivers, food delivery couriers, security guards, students after exams, and to anyone they see actively working. The proper response is سلامت باشید (salāmat bāshid, “may you be in health”) or زنده باشی (zende bāshī, “may you live”). The phrase reflects a cultural pattern: Iranian politeness consistently addresses someone’s effort or state, not just their identity. Where English says “thanks” once, Persian wraps acknowledgment, well-wishing, and farewell into a single phrase. The word خسته itself traces to Middle Persian “kasta” (“broken, exhausted”), surviving into modern Persian through everyday speech.

Related

You will see this word together with خوشحال (happy, the opposite emotional pole) and کار (work, often the cause). For the politeness register that includes خسته نباشید, see our guide to 7 unwritten rules of Iranian hospitality.