لاغر

What it means

لاغر (lâghar) means “thin,” “slim,” or “skinny,” and is an adjective borrowed into Persian from Arabic لاغِر (lāghir), where it carried the meaning of thin or weakened. It sits in the neutral register: it describes a physical state without strong positive or negative judgment, though context and tone determine whether it reads as a compliment (“you look slim”) or a mild concern (“you look too thin”). The close synonym باریک (bârik) also means “slim” but often refers to narrowness in general, not just bodies. The direct opposite is چاق (châq), “fat.”

How to use it

• خیلی لاغر شدی، حالت خوبه؟ (kheyli lâghar shodi, hâlat khube?) “You’ve gotten really thin, are you okay?”
• همیشه لاغر بوده، از اون آدماست. (hamishâ lâghar bude, az un âdamâst.) “He/she has always been thin, just one of those people.”
• رژیم گرفته که لاغر بشه. (rezhim gerafte ke lâghar beshe.) “She is dieting to get thin.”
• بچه‌ها اگه مریض بشن زود لاغر میشن. (bachehâ age mariz beshen zud lâghar mishan.) “Children get thin quickly when they are sick.”

Cultural note

In Iran, changes in body weight are frequently noted aloud by family members and friends, and لاغر شدی (lâghar shodi, “you have gotten thin”) is a common observation at reunions. Depending on the speaker’s tone, this can express admiration, concern, or gentle pressure to eat more. In the Persian literary tradition, extreme thinness is sometimes a symbol of a lover’s longing, as in classical poetry where the beloved’s thin body reflects their deep sorrow.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab