خورشید

What it means

خورشید (khorshid) means “sun.” A pure Persian word with ancient roots, central to Zoroastrian symbology and still a common Persian given name. The poetic alternative آفتاب (âftâb) is also widely used.

How to use it

• خورشید طلوع کرد (khorshid tolu’ kard) “The sun rose”
• زیر خورشید (zir-e khorshid) “under the sun”
• غروب خورشید (ghorub-e khorshid) “sunset”

Common pairings and weather context

• خورشیدی (khorshidi) “solar” (as in تقویم خورشیدی, the Iranian solar calendar)
• نور خورشید (nur-e khorshid) “sunlight”
• طلوع خورشید (tolu’-e khorshid) “sunrise”
• عینک آفتابی (eynak-e âftâbi) “sunglasses” (uses آفتاب, not خورشید)

Cultural note

The Iranian calendar is called تقویم خورشیدی (taghvim-e khorshidi) “solar calendar,” anchoring time itself to the sun. Zoroastrians revered Khorshid as a divine emblem, and the winged sun appears on Achaemenid carvings at Persepolis. The name خورشید is given to both girls and boys, and shows up in compounds like خورشید‌خانم (khorshid-khânom), a folktale heroine.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab
• Encyclopaedia Iranica