What it means
نوبت (nobat) means an appointment or a scheduled turn. It came into Persian from Arabic nawba (نَوْبَة), which referred to a rotation or shift, as in a guard changing watch. In everyday Iranian life the word carries both senses: you have a nobat at the clinic booked in advance, and you take your nobat in a queue at the bakery. A close practical synonym is وقت (vaqt), but vaqt is more general. When Iranians say “nobat gerefte-am,” they specifically mean a reserved slot, not just any time slot.
How to use it
- نوبت دکتر گرفتم برای فردا. (nobat-e doktor gereftam barâye fardâ.) “I made a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow.”
- نوبتم کِیه؟ (nobatam key-e?) “When is my turn?”
- صبر کن، نوبتت میشه. (sabr kon, nobat-et mishe.) “Wait, your turn will come.”
- نوبت آنلاین گرفتم. (nobat-e ânlâyn gereftam.) “I booked the appointment online.”
Cultural note
In Iran, securing a clinic appointment (nobat gereftan) often involves calling early in the morning or using dedicated apps and hospital websites, because popular specialists fill their slots quickly. The social norm of waiting your turn (nobat-et mishe) is taken seriously in formal settings like clinics, though in informal crowded spaces such as a busy bakery, the queue can be more improvised. Diaspora Iranians use nobat in exactly the same way in Persian conversations abroad.