What it means
مقنعه (maqna’eh) is a fitted, tube-shaped headscarf that covers the hair, ears, and neck, leaving the face open. The word comes from Arabic مقنعة (miqna’a), derived from the Arabic root قنع, where the headcovering sense developed from the idea of something drawn over the head, and entered Persian as the standard term for this particular style of head covering. Unlike the loose روسری (rusari), which is a general headscarf draped over the hair, the مقنعه is a structured garment that stays in place without pinning. It is most closely associated with the official school uniform for girls in Iran.
How to use it
- دخترم هر روز مقنعهاش رو میپوشه و میره مدرسه. (Dokhtaram har ruz maqna’ehash ro miposhe va mire madreseh.) “My daughter puts on her maqna’eh every day and goes to school.”
- مقنعهی مدرسه باید مشکی باشه. (Maqna’eh-ye madreseh bâyad meshki bâshe.) “The school maqna’eh has to be black.”
- مقنعهم جا موند خونه. (Maqna’eham jâ mund khune.) “I left my maqna’eh at home.”
- بچهها توی کلاس مقنعه سرشونه. (Bachehâ tu-ye kelâs maqna’eh sare-shuune.) “The children wear their maqna’eh in class.”
Cultural note
The مقنعه became a standard part of the Iranian girls’ school uniform following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when modest dress codes were made compulsory in public schools. School مقنعه are typically black or navy and are worn over a long manteau or uniform coat. Outside the school context, women more commonly wear the روسری or چادر rather than the مقنعه, so the word carries a strong association with childhood and school life for most Iranians. Mothers of school-age daughters frequently mention it in everyday conversation about the morning routine.