What it means
لوایح (lavâyeh) is the broken plural of the Arabic لائحه (lâ’iha, proposal or draft). In Persian it refers specifically to bills and draft laws that the executive branch submits to the legislature for debate and ratification. The singular لایحه (lâyehe) names a single bill; when the government sends a package of proposed legislation, they are لوایح. The word sits at the formal end of political discourse. Ordinary speakers rarely use it in daily conversation, but anyone who follows Iranian news will encounter it constantly during parliamentary sessions.
How to use it
- دولت لوایح بودجه را تقدیم مجلس کرد. (dowlat lavâyeh-e budje râ taqdim-e majles kard.) “The government submitted the budget bills to parliament.”
- لوایح پیشنهادی هنوز بررسی نشده. (lavâyeh-e pishnahâdi hanuz barresi nashodeh.) “The proposed bills have not yet been reviewed.”
- این لایحه با مخالفت نمایندگان روبرو شد. (in lâyehe bâ mokhâlefat-e namâyandegân ruberoo shod.) “This bill was met with opposition from the deputies.”
- لوایح قضایی هفته آینده مطرح میشود. (lavâyeh-e qazâyi hafte-ye âyande matrah mishavad.) “The judicial bills will be raised next week.”
Cultural note
Under the Iranian constitution, the executive branch prepares لوایح and sends them to the Islamic Consultative Assembly (مجلس شورای اسلامی, majles-e showrâ-ye eslâmi) for debate and vote. The Guardian Council then reviews passed bills for compliance with Islamic law and the constitution. Watching this multi-stage process is essential context for anyone reading Iranian political reporting, where لوایح, لایحه, and طرح (tarh, a parliament-initiated bill as opposed to a government-initiated one) appear constantly and mean different things.