What it means
خودپرداز (khodpardâz) means “self-processor” or “self-payer,” and it is the formal Persian designation for an ATM. The word is a compound of خود (khod, “self”) and پرداز (pardâz, from the verb پرداختن, pardâkhtan, “to pay” or “to process”). Both roots are native Persian, making خودپرداز one of the successful pure-Persian coinages promoted by the Academy of Persian Language and Literature as an alternative to the hybrid term عابربانک (âber-bânk). In formal writing, official banking documents, and news broadcasts, خودپرداز is preferred. In casual speech, most Iranians say عابربانک.
How to use it
- دستگاه خودپرداز از کار افتاده. (Dastgâh-e khodpardâz az kâr oftâde.) “The ATM is out of service.”
- موجودی رو از خودپرداز چک کردم. (Mojudi ro az khodpardâz chek kardam.) “I checked my balance at the ATM.”
- خودپرداز بانک ملت همیشه شلوغه. (Khodpardâz-e Bank-e Mellat hamishe sholoqhe.) “Bank Mellat’s ATM is always crowded.”
- کارت رو توی خودپرداز جا گذاشتم. (Kârt ro tu-ye khodpardâz jâ gozâshtam.) “I left my card in the ATM.”
Cultural note
خودپرداز is a deliberate act of linguistic engineering. The Academy of Persian Language and Literature has long campaigned to replace foreign technical terms with pure-Persian equivalents, and خودپرداز is one of the more successful examples: it appears in official Central Bank of Iran communications and is taught in schools. However, in everyday Tehran speech, عابربانک remains the dominant form, illustrating the gap that often exists between official language policy and how people actually talk. Learning both terms signals fluency in both formal and informal registers.