What it means
معاینه (mo’ayene) means medical examination or physical check-up. It is borrowed from Arabic معاينة (mu’ayana), the form-III masdar of the root ع-ي-ن (ayn), meaning eye. The root meaning of mutual observation, looking closely at each other, captures the idea of a doctor inspecting a patient. In Persian, معاینه specifically refers to the hands-on physical examination a clinician performs: listening to the chest, pressing the abdomen, checking reflexes. A related verb is معاینه کردن (mo’ayene kardan), to examine a patient. Compare with ویزیت (vizit), borrowed from French visite, which often refers to the consultation visit itself rather than the physical examination.
How to use it
- دکتر بعد از معاینه نسخه داد. (doktor bad az mo’ayene noskhe dad.) “The doctor gave a prescription after the examination.”
- نوبت معاینه گرفتم برای فردا. (nobat-e mo’ayene gereftam baraye farda.) “I made an appointment for an examination tomorrow.”
- معاینهی کامل لازم داری. (mo’ayene-ye kamel lazem dari.) “You need a full examination.”
- اتاق معاینه کجاست؟ (otaq-e mo’ayene kojast?) “Where is the examination room?”
Cultural note
In the Iranian public health system, a basic معاینه by a general practitioner (پزشک عمومی) is the standard first step before any referral to a specialist. Many Iranians also attend سلامت سنجی (health screening) sessions offered at health centers, which include routine معاینه for blood pressure, weight, and vision. The phrase معاینهی دورهای (mo’ayene-ye dowre-ai), meaning periodic check-up, has become more common as preventive health culture grows in urban Iran.