What it means
مسیر (masir) is borrowed from Arabic, where it is a noun of place or action derived from the trilateral root س-ی-ر (s-y-r), meaning to travel or to move. In Persian it means a route, path, or course, whether physical (a road, a trail, a flight path) or figurative (a course of action). It is slightly more formal than راه (râh, road or way), which is the pure Persian equivalent, but مسیر is completely standard in everyday speech, especially in navigation and transport contexts. You will hear it constantly in directions, on GPS apps, and in transit announcements.
How to use it
- مسیر اتوبوس عوض شده. (masire otobus avaz shode.) “The bus route has changed.”
- کوتاهترین مسیر کدومه؟ (kutâhtarin masir kodume?) “Which is the shortest route?”
- تو مسیرمونیم، میتونیم برسونیمت. (tu masirumunim, mitoonim beresunimet.) “We’re going that way, we can drop you off.”
- مسیر رو نقشه نشون میده. (masiro naqshe neshun mide.) “The map shows the route.”
Cultural note
Iran’s intercity transport network relies heavily on long-distance coaches (اتوبوس), shared taxis (تاکسی مشترک), and trains, making مسیر a word travelers encounter constantly when booking or asking about options. Iranian navigation apps like Neshan display مسیر پیشنهادی (recommended route) and allow users to choose between fastest and shortest مسیر. On hiking and trekking routes in areas like the Alborz mountains, مسیر also appears on trail markers and in route descriptions shared by outdoor communities.