What it means
ناخن (nâkhon) means “nail,” the hard plate at the tip of a finger or toe. It is a native Persian word that goes back to Middle Persian nāxun, related to the older Indo-Iranian root behind Sanskrit “nakha.” The same word covers both fingernails and toenails, so you usually add ناخن دست (nâkhon-e dast, “fingernail”) or ناخن پا (nâkhon-e pâ, “toenail”) only when you need to be specific. It is not the same as پنجه (panje), which means the claw, paw, or the whole front of the hand or foot.
How to use it
- ناخنم شکست. (nâkhon-am shekast.) “My nail broke.”
- ناخنهاتو کوتاه کن. (nâkhon-hâto kutâh kon.) “Cut your nails.”
- ناخنش رفت تو گوشت. (nâkhon-esh raft tu gusht.) “Her nail grew into the flesh.”
- چرا ناخن میجوی؟ (cherâ nâkhon mijavi?) “Why do you bite your nails?”
Cultural note
In Persian, the nail and surrounding area come up often in everyday talk about hygiene and grooming, and keeping nails short and clean is seen as a sign of being well kept. The verb for biting nails, ناخن جویدن (nâkhon javidan), is the standard way to describe the nervous habit, just like in English. Manicure salons advertise using the term ناخن کاری (nâkhon kâri) or the borrowed word مانیکور (mânikur) for nail work.