What it means
خرده (khorde) comes from the pure Persian adjective خُرد (khord), meaning small or fine. As a noun it refers to loose change, small coins, or low-denomination bills. You will hear it constantly at shops, taxis, and markets when someone needs exact money. The full form پول خرده (pul-e khorde) is also common, but in fast colloquial speech خرده alone carries the full meaning. A close synonym in formal registers is پول خُرد (pul-e khord), but خرده is the more natural spoken word.
How to use it
- خرده داری؟ (khorde dâri?) “Do you have change?”
- خرده نداشتم، با کارت دادم. (khorde nadâshtam, bâ kârt dâdam.) “I didn’t have change, so I paid by card.”
- یه ده هزاری بده، خردشو برمیگردونم. (ye dah-hezâri bede, khordesh-o barmigardoonam.) “Give me a ten-thousand, I’ll give you back the change.”
- بقالی سر کوچه معمولاً خرده داره. (baqqâli-ye sar-e kuche ma’mulan khorde dâre.) “The corner shop usually has change.”
Cultural note
In Iran’s cash-heavy economy, asking for خرده is a daily ritual. Bus and metro systems, traditional bazaars, and older shops often cannot break large bills, so having exact change is genuinely expected. In taxis, drivers will frequently ask passengers for خرده before a trip so they can return the correct amount. With the rise of app-based payments and card terminals, younger urban Iranians carry خرده less often, but the word itself remains as common as ever.