What it means
نوجوانی (nojavâni) means “adolescence” or “teenage years.” Built from نو (no) “new” plus جوان (javân) “young” plus the abstract suffix ـی. The teenager themself is نوجوان (nojavân).
How to use it
- دوران نوجوانی (dowrân-e nojavâni) “the teenage years”
- در نوجوانی (dar nojavâni) “during adolescence”
- دوست نوجوانی (dust-e nojavâni) “a friend from teenage years”
When this stage falls
Roughly 13 to 18. The defining mileposts inside Iran: starting dabirestân (high school) at 14 or 15, and the looming konkur, the national university entrance exam. Nojavâni in Iran is shaped almost entirely by exam prep. Many teens spend two years at a kelâs-e konkur (cram school) on top of regular school.
Cultural note
The word carries the cultural weight of pressure. Iranian parents talk about their child’s nojavâni mostly through the lens of grades, konkur scores, and which university tier they’ll reach. Personal exploration, dating, identity formation all happen, but quietly, often in private friend circles outside parental view.
References
ZabanYar is a Persian app built for heritage learners, the people who can speak a little but want to read, write, and really get it. Free early access at launch.
Join the waitlist →