ماه

What it means

ماه (mâh) is a polysemous Persian noun meaning both “moon” and “month.” Native Persian word from Old Persian *māh-, related to English “month” through Indo-European *mēnsis.

The senses

• Moon: ماه آسمان (mâh-e âsemân) “the moon in the sky”
• Month: ماه گذشته (mâh-e gozashte) “last month”
• Beautiful (in poetry): “moon-faced”

How to use it

• ماه کامل است (mâh kâmel ast) “The moon is full”
• دو ماه است که در ایرانم (do mâh ast ke dar irân-am) “I have been in Iran for two months”
• سه ماهه است (se mâhe ast) “She is three months old / three months pregnant”

Common pairings

• ماه مبارک رمضان (mâh-e mobârak-e ramazân) “the blessed month of Ramadan”
• ماه عسل (mâh-e asal) “honeymoon” (literally “honey month”)
• ماهانه (mâhâne) “monthly”
• ماه‌رو (mâh-ru) “moon-faced” (poetic compliment)

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab