What it means
نجار (najjâr) means carpenter, the tradesperson who cuts, shapes, and joins wood to make furniture, doors, cabinets, and structural elements. The word is borrowed directly from Arabic نجّار (najjâr), where the doubled middle consonant follows the فَعّال (faʿʿâl) pattern, an Arabic morphological template that typically marks an agent noun for a skilled trade or recurring occupation. Persian adopted the word along with dozens of other craft and profession names from Arabic after the spread of Islam. The craft itself is sometimes called نجاری (najjâri), and a carpenter’s workshop is a نجاری یا کارگاه نجاری.
How to use it
- نجار اومد درِ اتاق رو درست کنه. (najjâr umad dar-e otâq ro dorost kone.) “The carpenter came to fix the room’s door.”
- پدرم نجاره. (pedaram najjâre.) “My father is a carpenter.”
- باید یه نجار خوب پیدا کنیم. (bâyad ye najjâr-e khub peydâ konim.) “We need to find a good carpenter.”
- نجار میز رو ساخت. (najjâr miz ro sâkht.) “The carpenter made the table.”
Cultural note
Woodworking has deep roots in Iranian material culture. Traditional Persian doors, latticed windows known as orosi, and inlaid wooden boxes called khatamkâri are among the most recognized art forms of cities like Isfahan and Shiraz. The craftsmen behind these objects are called نجار or, for the most ornate inlay work, a specialist term. In contemporary Iran, the نجار is a common sight in residential neighborhoods, often operating a small street-level workshop. The Arabic origin of the word reflects the broader pattern in which many Iranian craft and trade names came through Arabic transmission during the early Islamic centuries.