What it means
لایو کردن (lâyv kardan) means to broadcast live on a social media platform, for example going live on Instagram, TikTok, or Telegram. It is formed by combining the English adjective and noun “live” with the all-purpose Persian light verb کردن (kardan, to do/make). This pattern, taking a foreign noun and adding کردن, is extremely productive in colloquial Persian. You will also hear لایو رفتن (lâyv raftan, literally to go live) as an alternative construction. The noun form لایو (lâyv) is used on its own to mean a live stream or a live broadcast session.
How to use it
- داره لایو میکنه. (Dâre lâyv mikoné.) “He is going live right now.”
- امشب لایو میکنم. (Emshab lâyv mikonam.) “I am going live tonight.”
- لایوش رو دیدی؟ (Lâyvesh ro didi?) “Did you watch his live stream?”
- بریم تو لایوش. (Brim tu lâyvesh.) “Let’s join her live.”
Cultural note
Live streaming on Instagram became extremely popular in Iran after 2018, when many public figures, teachers, and musicians began holding regular لایو sessions to connect with followers. Because satellite dishes and certain apps have faced restrictions, live broadcasts on permitted platforms became a key channel for cultural and educational content. The word لایو is used casually across all age groups that are active on social media, and it carries no formal register equivalent: there is simply no standard Persian bureaucratic substitute in everyday use.