What it means
کوتاه (kutâh) means short or brief. It is a native Persian word with roots in Middle Persian, not a loanword. It applies to physical height, such as a short person or a low wall, and to duration or length, such as a brief speech or a short story. As the antonym of بلند (boland), it completes one of the most basic pairs in the language. You will also hear کوتاه in the phrase کوتاه کردن (kutâh kardan), meaning to shorten or to cut, and in the common idiom کوتاه بیا (kutâh biâ), meaning to back down or concede.
How to use it
- داستان کوتاهی بود، تموم شد. (Dâstân kutâhi bud, tamum shod.) “It was a short story, it ended quickly.”
- موهاشو کوتاه کرده. (Muhâsho kutâh karde.) “She has cut her hair short.”
- کوتاه بیا، بحث نکن. (Kutâh biâ, bahs nakon.) “Back down, don’t argue.”
- مسیر کوتاهتری بلدی؟ (Masir kutâhtari baladi?) “Do you know a shorter route?”
Cultural note
The phrase کوتاه بیا (kutâh biâ) is a staple of conflict resolution in Persian conversation. It literally means to come shorter but is used to ask someone to give ground, stop insisting, or make peace. Knowing when to کوتاه بیا is considered a social virtue in Iranian family and professional culture, as prolonged argument (بحث) is generally seen as undignified.