What it means
مربع (morabba’) means “square,” a flat shape with four equal sides and four right angles. The word comes directly from Arabic, built on the root ر-ب-ع meaning “four,” so it literally carries the sense of “fourfold” or “made into a square.” In Persian, مربع is the standard neutral term in both geometry class and everyday conversation. A close related word is مکعب (mokaʿʿab), which means “cube” and shares the same Arabic root but refers to a three-dimensional shape.
How to use it
- این اتاق مربع شکل است. (in otâq morabba’ shakl ast.) “This room is square-shaped.”
- یک مربع روی تخته رسم کن. (yek morabba’ ru-ye takhte rasm kon.) “Draw a square on the board.”
- کاشیهای مربع خیلی قشنگ به نظر میرسن. (kâshi-hâ-ye morabba’ kheyli qashang be nazar mi-rasan.) “Square tiles look very nice.”
- همه ضلعهای یک مربع مساوی هستن. (hame zal’-hâ-ye yek morabba’ mosâvi hastan.) “All sides of a square are equal.”
Cultural note
In Iranian architecture and decorative arts, the square and its multiples are among the most recurring geometric motifs. Traditional tile work in mosques and bazaars across Isfahan and Shiraz features interlocking square patterns that carry symbolic meaning, representing balance and the four cardinal directions. The word مربع itself entered Persian through centuries of Arabic-language scholarship in mathematics and geometry, and remains the standard term in Iranian school textbooks today.