What it means
ماسک (mâsk) is a borrowing from European languages, most likely French masque or English mask, meaning mask or face covering. In Persian it applies to a wide range of coverings: the disposable surgical masks worn in hospitals (mâsk-e jarrâhi), the fabric masks used during illness or pollution, the cosmetic sheet masks applied to the face for skincare, and theatrical or costume masks. Context usually makes the meaning clear. The word is fully naturalized in Persian: it takes the ezafe (mâsk-e teb-i, medical mask) and combines with zadan to form the verb mâsk zadan (to put on a mask).
How to use it
- ماسکتو بزن بریم بیرون. (Mâsketo bezan berim birun.) “Put your mask on, let’s go out.”
- یه ماسک صورت خریدم از داروخانه. (Ye mâsk-e surat kharidm az dârukhune.) “I bought a face mask from the pharmacy.”
- ماسک جراحی تموم شده. (Mâsk-e jarrâhi tamum shode.) “Surgical masks are sold out.”
- هر شب ماسک موهامو میزنم. (Har shab mâsk-e muhâmo mizanam.) “I put a hair mask on every night.”
Cultural note
Mask use in Iran has two distinct cultural contexts. In the medical sphere, surgical masks became ubiquitous during the 2009 H1N1 period and again during COVID-19, with government billboards instructing citizens to wear them. In the beauty sphere, face masks for skin care are a staple of Iranian beauty routines, sold in pharmacies and cosmetic shops under the same word. The crossover means that asking for a mâsk in a pharmacy requires a quick clarification about purpose.