What it means
مرحومه (marhume) is the feminine form of مرحوم (marhum), both borrowed from Arabic and built on the root ر-ح-م (r-h-m, mercy). The feminine ending -e (from Arabic -a / -at) is part of the original Arabic morphology, so marhume is fully Arabic in origin. In Persian, it is placed before a deceased woman’s name as a formal honorific meaning the late. The two forms are grammatically parallel: marhum for men, marhume for women. In more traditional or religious speech, some speakers still observe this gender distinction carefully, while in casual spoken Persian it is common to hear marhum used for both, though marhume remains the precise, correct form for a woman.
How to use it
- مرحومه مادرم خیلی دوست داشت شعر بخونه. (Marhume-ye mâdaram khéyli dust dâsht she’r bekhune.) “My late mother loved to read poetry.”
- خدا مرحومه خانم رضایی رو رحمت کنه. (Khodâ marhume-ye khânom-e Rezâ’i ro rahmat kone.) “May God have mercy on the late Mrs. Rezaei.”
- مراسم چهلم مرحومه خواهرم هفته دیگهست. (Marâsem-e chelom-e marhume-ye khâharam hafte-ye dige-st.) “The fortieth-day ceremony for my late sister is next week.”
- اسم مرحومه مادربزرگت چی بود؟ (Esm-e marhume-ye mâdar-bozorgat chi bud?) “What was your late grandmother’s name?”
Cultural note
In Iranian mourning culture, preserving the gender distinction between marhum and marhume is a sign of care and proper respect. Obituary notices posted at mosque entrances, on street walls, and on social media almost always use the correct gendered form. The word appears in the announcements for the soom (third day), haftom (seventh day), chelom (fortieth day), and sâlgard (anniversary) ceremonies that mark the traditional Iranian mourning calendar. Hearing marhume before a woman’s name signals to the listener that the person is deceased and that condolence norms apply to the conversation.