What it means
نرمافزار (narm-afzar) means software: the programs and operating systems that run on a computer. It is a pure Persian compound coined as a calque of the English word “software”: narm (نرم) means soft or intangible, and afzar (افزار) is an old Persian word for tool or instrument. Its counterpart is سختافزار (sakht-afzar, hardware). Unlike many tech terms in Persian, نرمافزار has genuinely taken hold in everyday speech alongside the English-origin alternatives سافتور or سافتور.
How to use it
- این نرمافزار رو باید آپدیت کنی. (In narm-afzar ro bayad update koni.) “You need to update this software.”
- مشکل از نرمافزاره، نه از سختافزار. (Moshkel az narm-afzare, na az sakht-afzar.) “The problem is the software, not the hardware.”
- نرمافزار حسابداری جدیدی نصب کردیم. (Narm-afzar-e hesabdari-ye jadidi nasb kardim.) “We installed new accounting software.”
- این نرمافزار رایگانه یا پولی؟ (In narm-afzar rayegane ya puli?) “Is this software free or paid?”
Cultural note
The Academy of Persian Language and Literature introduced نرمافزار in the 1980s as the official Persian equivalent of “software.” It stands out as one of the more successful Academy coinages because it conveys the meaning accurately and feels natural to Persian speakers. In contrast, many other Academy-proposed tech terms never caught on in conversation. نرمافزار is used in formal writing, official software interfaces, and everyday speech alike.