میدان

What it means

میدان (meydân) means “square,” “plaza,” or “field.” From Arabic root م ی د. In Iranian cities, the میدان is a circular plaza at major intersections, typically with a monument or fountain at its center. Foundation A2 word.

How to use it

• میدان آزادی (meydân-e âzâdi) “Azadi Square” (Tehran landmark)
• توی میدان منتظرم (tuye meydân montazeram) “I am waiting in the square”
• میدان جنگ (meydân-e jang) “battlefield”

Common pairings

• میدان نقش جهان (meydân-e Naqsh-e Jahân) “Naqsh-e Jahan Square” (Isfahan UNESCO site)
• میدان دادن (meydân dâdan) “to give the floor, give space”
• به میدان آمدن (be meydân âmadan) “to step up, enter the arena”

Etymology

میدان entered Persian from Arabic but is used everywhere across the Iranian world. The plaza is a fixed feature of Iranian urban planning since Safavid times, Naqsh-e Jahân in Isfahan (16th century) is among the largest in the world.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Wiktionary