What it means
مهندس (mohandes) means “engineer.” Borrowed from Arabic h-n-d-s (هندس), the root tied to geometry and measured design. The original sense was “one who works with geometry.”
In modern Iran, مهندس covers all engineering disciplines: civil, electrical, mechanical, software. It is also used as a respect title.
How to use it
- مهندس برق (mohandes-e barq) “electrical engineer”
- سلام مهندس (salâm mohandes) “hello engineer (as polite address)”
- پدرم مهندسه (pedaram mohandese) “my father is an engineer”
- مهندسی نرمافزار (mohandesi-ye narm-afzâr) “software engineering”
Common pairings
- مهندسی (mohandesi) “engineering (the field)”
- مهندس عمران (mohandes-e omrân) “civil engineer”
- مهندس کامپیوتر (mohandes-e kâmpyuter) “computer engineer”
Cultural note
In Iran, مهندس and دکتر (doktor) function as respect titles beyond their literal jobs. A taxi driver might call any well-dressed male passenger مهندس to flatter and soften the conversation. Middle-class families historically pushed sons toward مهندسی as the prestige path, alongside پزشکی (medicine), so the title carries class signaling beyond credentials.
References
ZabanYar is a Persian app built for heritage learners, the people who can speak a little but want to read, write, and really get it. Free early access at launch.
Join the waitlist →