What it means
کلاً (kollan) means “generally,” “entirely,” “altogether,” or “in total.” It comes from Arabic کل (koll), meaning “all” or “every,” with the adverbial اً ending. In Persian it has developed a distinctly colloquial flavor compared to its formal cousin کاملاً. Speakers use it to dismiss, summarize, or write something off completely. A phrase like کلاً ولش کن (kollan volash kon, “just forget it entirely”) shows how the word carries a sense of finality or exasperation in spoken Persian.
How to use it
- کلاً این کار درست نیست. (kollan in kar dorost nist.) “This whole thing is simply not right.”
- کلاً ولش کن. (kollan volash kon.) “Just forget it entirely.”
- اون کلاً آدم دیگهایه. (un kollan adam digeh-iye.) “He is a completely different person.”
- کلاً این ایده به درد نمیخوره. (kollan in ide be dard nemikhore.) “This idea is altogether useless.”
Cultural note
کلاً has earned a strong colloquial identity in Tehran speech and among younger Iranians. Where کاملاً would sound measured and polite, کلاً often sounds blunt, casual, or mildly dismissive. It appears frequently in social media captions, text messages, and informal conversation as a quick way to say something is entirely good, entirely bad, or entirely done with. Its casual tone makes it rare in formal writing or official speech.