What it means
مهلت دادن (mohlat dâdan) is a compound verb combining مهلت (mohlat), an Arabic loanword from the root م-ه-ل (m-h-l) meaning a period of grace or allotted time, with the native Persian verb دادن (dâdan), to give. Together they mean to grant someone additional time, to extend a deadline, or to give a person or party a window in which to comply, pay, or act. This is one of the most common patterns in Persian for forming verbs: an Arabic noun plus دادن or کردن. The opposite is مهلت گرفتن (mohlat gereftan), to receive or ask for an extension. A formal synonym is تمدید مهلت (tamdid-e mohlat), extending the deadline.
How to use it
- استاد به ما مهلت داد. (ostâd be mâ mohlat dâd.) “The professor gave us an extension.”
- میتونی یه مهلت بدی؟ (mi-tuni ye mohlat bedi?) “Can you give me some extra time?”
- دادگاه مهلت داد تا مدارک بیاری. (dâdgâh mohlat dâd tâ madârek biâri.) “The court gave time to bring the documents.”
- دیگه مهلت نمیدن. (dige mohlat nemi-dan.) “They are not granting any more extensions.”
Cultural note
In Iranian bureaucratic and legal culture, مهلت دادن is a formal act that often requires documentation: an extension granted by a court, tax authority, or government office typically comes with a written notice specifying the new deadline. In everyday dealings, however, the word is equally common in casual contexts, such as a landlord giving a tenant مهلت to pay rent or a teacher giving students extra days for an assignment. The Arabic root م-ه-ل shares a semantic field with patience and deliberate slowness, which aligns with the cultural value placed on giving people reasonable time rather than pressing for immediate compliance.