What it means
مایع ظرفشویی (maye-e zarf-shui) is dish soap, the liquid detergent used to wash dishes and kitchen utensils by hand. The phrase is built from three parts: مایع (maye) means liquid, from Arabic; ظرف (zarf) means dish or vessel, also from Arabic, where it broadly means container; and شویی (shui) is the Persian suffix for washing. Together they literally mean liquid for washing dishes. A shorter spoken form you will often hear is simply مایع (maye), which in context is understood to mean dish soap.
How to use it
- مایع ظرفشویی تموم شده، بخر. (maye-e zarf-shui tamum shode, bekhar.) “The dish soap has run out, buy some.”
- یه قطره مایع بریز تو ظرفشویی. (ye qatre maye briz too zarf-shui.) “Put a drop of soap in the sink.”
- این مایع دست رو خشک میکنه. (in maye dast ro khoshk mikone.) “This dish soap dries out your hands.”
- مایع ظرفشویی رو از سوپرمارکت بگیر. (maye-e zarf-shui ro az supermarket begir.) “Pick up the dish soap from the supermarket.”
Cultural note
In Iranian kitchens, washing dishes by hand remains common even in households that own a dishwasher, and مایع ظرفشویی is a staple item on every shopping list. The word ظرف on its own also means dish or vessel in everyday speech, so you will hear it in many compound words related to the kitchen. Brands like Rika and Barf are among the most recognized dish soap names in Iran, and their bottles are a standard sight next to every sink.