What it means
خیاط (khayyât) is the Persian word for a tailor or dressmaker. It is a direct borrowing from Arabic, where it follows the faʿʿâl pattern, an intensified occupational form built on the root خ-ي-ط (to sew or to stitch). Persian borrowed the word complete with its Arabic form, just as it borrowed نجار (carpenter) and حداد (blacksmith) from the same pattern. The native Persian equivalent is دوزنده (duzande) or جامهدوز (jâmeh-duz), though خیاط is the more widely recognized term in everyday speech. A خیاط works to measure, cut, and sew custom garments.
How to use it
- بردم پیش خیاط که کتم رو تنگتر کنه. (bordam pish-e khayyât ke kotam ro tang-tar kone.) “I took it to the tailor to have my jacket taken in.”
- خیاط گفت تا جمعه آمادهست. (khayyât goft tâ jomʿe âmâde-st.) “The tailor said it will be ready by Friday.”
- مادرم خیاط ماهریه. (mâdaram khayyât-e mâheri-ye.) “My mother is a skilled seamstress.”
- یه خیاط خوب تو بازار کار میکنه. (ye khayyât-e khub tu bâzâr kâr mi-kone.) “A good tailor works in the bazaar.”
Cultural note
Custom tailoring has a long tradition in Iran, and the بازار (bâzâr) of most Iranian cities still contains a dedicated section for خیاط shops. Before ready-to-wear clothing became widespread, most Iranians had clothes made to measure for weddings, Nowruz, and formal occasions. Women who sew or do custom dressmaking are also called خیاط, making the term gender-neutral in practice. Today خیاط shops also take in alterations, shortening trousers or letting out seams, as ready-made sizes rarely fit every customer well.