What it means
مسابقه (mosâbeqeh) means a competition, match, or contest. It comes from Arabic, where it is built on the triliteral root س-ب-ق (s-b-q), meaning to race, to outrun, or to get ahead of someone. The form mufâ’aleh indicates a mutual action between two parties, which fits the idea of competing against one another. In everyday Persian it covers formal sporting matches, television quiz contests, and informal competitions alike. A close synonym is رقابت (reqâbat), which carries more of the sense of ongoing rivalry.
How to use it
- مسابقهی فوتبال کِیه؟ (mosâbeqeh-ye football ki-ye?) “When is the football match?”
- تو مسابقه شرکت کردی؟ (to mosâbeqeh sherkat kardi?) “Did you enter the competition?”
- این مسابقه خیلی سخت بود. (in mosâbeqeh kheyli sakht bud.) “This competition was very tough.”
- برنده مسابقه کی شد؟ (barandeh-ye mosâbeqeh ki shod?) “Who won the competition?”
Cultural note
مسابقه is one of the most common words in Iranian sports broadcasting and everyday conversation. National team matches in football and volleyball draw enormous television audiences across Iran. The word is also used constantly in the context of مسابقات المپیک (mosâbeqât-e Olimpik, the Olympic Games), and Iran has a strong tradition in Olympic sports such as wrestling and weightlifting where مسابقه is a word fans hear constantly.