مراقب

What it means

مراقب (morâgheb) means watchful, careful, or attentive. As an adjective it describes a person who is paying close attention or guarding against danger. As a noun it describes someone whose job or role is to watch over others, like a caretaker, supervisor, or minder. The word is borrowed from Arabic, built on the root ر-ق-ب (r-q-b) which carries the core sense of watching, observing, and guarding. The Arabic form مُرَاقِب (murâqib) is the active participle of Form III of that root, meaning one who keeps watch. In Persian the word has been naturalized and is used freely in both formal and everyday speech. The compound verb مراقب بودن (morâgheb budan) means to watch over or to take care of, and the imperative phrase مراقب باش (morâgheb bâsh) is one of the most common ways to say “be careful” or “watch out.” A near synonym is دقیق (daghigh, precise or careful) but مراقب emphasizes active vigilance over mere accuracy.

How to use it

• مراقب باش سر نخوری. (morâgheb bâsh sar nakhori.) “Be careful you don’t fall.”
• اون مراقب بچه‌هاشه. (un morâgheb-e bachehâshe.) “She is watching over her children.”
• مراقب خودت باش. (morâgheb-e khodat bâsh.) “Take care of yourself.”
• یه مراقب برای مادربزرگم گرفتیم. (ye morâgheb barâ-ye mâdarbozorgam gereftim.) “We hired a caretaker for my grandmother.”

Cultural note

The phrase مراقب باش is so ingrained in Persian daily life that it functions almost as a default farewell in situations with any perceived risk, from a child heading to school to a friend driving in heavy traffic. It carries genuine warmth as much as caution. In Sufi and spiritual Persian literature, مراقبه (morâghebe), the noun form meaning watchfulness or mindfulness, describes the practice of keeping close watch over the state of one’s own heart, a concept central to classic texts like those of Rumi and Attar.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab