What it means
نشان دادن (neshân dâdan) means to show, to point out, to indicate, or to demonstrate. It is a compound verb built from نشان (neshân), meaning a sign, mark, or indicator, and دادن (dâdan), meaning to give. Together they form the idea of giving a sign to someone, which in practice means directing their attention or revealing something. The verb works for physical showing (show me the photo), pointing out a location (show me on the map), and demonstrating a skill or quality (the results show his effort). The conjugated forms follow دادن: میده (mide, gives/shows in 3rd singular informal), داد (dâd, gave/showed), بده (bede, give/show, imperative). In formal or written Persian you may also encounter نشان دهنده (neshân-dahande, indicator) as a noun form.
How to use it
- بهم نشون بده چطوره (behem neshun bede chetore) “Show me how it is.”
- رو نقشه نشون بده (ru-ye naghshe neshun bede) “Show me on the map.”
- عکساتو نشونم بده (aksâto neshunam bede) “Show me your photos.”
- نتایج نشون میده که موفق شدی (natâyej neshun mide ke movaffagh shodi) “The results show that you succeeded.”
Cultural note
نشان دادن appears in one of the most culturally loaded Persian expressions: نشون دادن به کسی can carry the edge of proving a point or teaching someone a lesson. The phrase بهش نشون میدم (behesh neshun midam), literally “I’ll show him,” carries the same slightly competitive undertone as the English “I’ll show them,” a declaration that someone’s skepticism or dismissal will be answered with results.
References
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