How Do You Say 'mountain' In Persian? (Kuh)

کوه

kuh

mountain

nouna1

Quick Reference

PronunciationKUH

Meaningmountain

Levela1

Iran is shaped by کوه. The country is a high plateau ringed by mountain ranges, and the word carries that geography in its weight.

What it means

کوه (kuh) means “mountain.” Pure Persian, A1, identical across registers. The word covers everything from a hill to a 5,000-meter peak. کوهستان (kuhestân) is “mountainous region”; کوهنورد (kuh-navard) is “mountain climber”; کوهپایه (kuh-pâye) is “foothill.” Iran’s geography is dominated by two ranges: the Alborz (البرز) along the Caspian, including Damavand (دماوند) at 5,610 meters, the highest peak in the Middle East; and the Zagros (زاگرس) running diagonally across the western side of the country. Most major Iranian cities sit at the base of mountains, and weekend hiking is a common Tehrani habit.

How to use it

کوه دماوند (kuh-e damâvand) “Mount Damavand”
کوه‌نوردی (kuh-navardi) “mountain climbing, hiking”
بالای کوه (bâlâ-ye kuh) “on top of the mountain”
کوه بلند (kuh-e boland) “tall mountain”

In a sentence

آخر هفته رفتیم کوه. · âkhar-e hafte raftim kuh. · We went hiking on the weekend.
دماوند بلندترین کوه ایرانه. · damâvand bolandtarin kuh-e irân-e. · Damavand is Iran’s tallest mountain.
از بالای کوه تهران دیده می‌شه. · az bâlâ-ye kuh tehrân dide mishe. · From the top of the mountain you can see Tehran.

Cultural note

The کوه is the steady witness in Persian culture. Damavand carries the weight of myth: in the Shahnameh, the tyrant Zahhak is chained inside it, waiting until the end of time. Hiking the foothills of the Alborz on Friday mornings is a Tehrani institution, and the trails above the city are crowded by 7am. The Darband and Darake gorges, on the northern edge of Tehran, fill with families, dating couples, and old men playing backgammon at trail-side cafes. There is a proverb that already has its own glossary entry: کوه به کوه نمی‌رسد، آدم به آدم می‌رسد (kuh be kuh nemiresad, âdam be âdam miresad), “mountains do not meet, but people do,” used when bumping into someone unexpectedly. In poetry, the کوه stands for what does not move while everything else does. To call a person کوه (“a mountain”) is to call them strong, unshaken, a refuge for others. The Zagros range, longer and lower than the Alborz, gave shelter to Iran’s nomadic populations for centuries, and those communities still climb seasonal pastures along ancient mountain routes.

References

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Cultural Context

The کوه is the steady witness in Persian culture. Damavand carries the weight of myth: in the Shahnameh, the tyrant Zahhak is chained inside it, waiting until the end of time. Hiking the foothills of the Alborz on Friday mornings is a Tehrani institution, and the trails above the city are crowded by 7am. The Darband and Darake gorges, on the northern edge of Tehran, fill with families, dating couples, and old men playing backgammon at trail-side cafes. There is a proverb that already has its own glossary entry: کوه به کوه نمی‌رسد، آدم به آدم می‌رسد (kuh be kuh nemiresad, âdam be âdam miresad), "mountains do not meet, but people do," used when bumping into someone unexpectedly. In poetry, the کوه stands for what does not move while everything else does. To call a person کوه ("a mountain") is to call them strong, unshaken, a refuge for others. The Zagros range, longer and lower than the Alborz, gave shelter to Iran's nomadic populations for centuries, and those communities still climb seasonal pastures along ancient mountain routes.

Connected Words

کوه

kuh