What it means
امآرآی (em-âr-âi) is a direct borrowing of the English acronym MRI, standing for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Persian has adopted the letters phonetically, spelling them out as ام، آر، آی. Doctors and patients use this word interchangeably with the full phrase تصویربرداری با رزونانس مغناطیسی (tasvirbardâri bâ rezonâns meghnâtisi), though the short form is far more common in everyday speech. A related term you will hear in the same context is سیتی اسکن (siti-eskan), which refers to a CT scan and uses different imaging technology.
How to use it
- پزشک گفت باید یه امآرآی از زانوم بگیرم. (pezeshk goft bâyad ye em-âr-âi az zânum begiram.) “The doctor said I need to get an MRI of my knee.”
- نتیجه امآرآیام هنوز نیومده. (natije-ye em-âr-âi-am hanuz nayumade.) “My MRI result has not come back yet.”
- امآرآی دردناک نیست، فقط کمی وقت میبره. (em-âr-âi dardnâk nist, faghat kami vaqt mibare.) “An MRI is not painful, it just takes a little time.”
- برای تشخیص دقیقتر، دکتر درخواست امآرآی داد. (barâye tashkhis-e daqiqtar, doktor darkhâst-e em-âr-âi dâd.) “For a more precise diagnosis, the doctor ordered an MRI.”
Cultural note
In Iran, imaging centres known as مراکز تصویربرداری (marâkez-e tasvirbardâri) are found in most mid-sized cities and function semi-independently from hospitals, so patients often go to a separate facility to have their scan done. Wait times and costs vary considerably between public hospitals and private clinics. Because MRI machines require imported technology that is subject to sanctions, availability and maintenance can be inconsistent in some regions.