What it means
عبور (obur) means crossing through, passing through, or transit. The word is borrowed from Arabic عُبُور (ubur), built on the root ع-ب-ر, which carries the sense of crossing from one side to another. You will see it on formal signage, such as عبور ممنوع (obur mamnu’, no entry or no crossing), and in written or formal spoken Persian when describing passing through a place or a boundary. In casual conversation, Iranians often say رد شدن (rad shodan) instead, which is the more colloquial equivalent.
How to use it
- عبور از این خط ممنوعه. (obur az in khat mamnu’e.) “Crossing this line is forbidden.”
- عبور از مرز بدون ویزا امکانپذیر نیست. (obur az marz bedoone vizâ emkân-pazir nist.) “Crossing the border without a visa is not possible.”
- وقتی از کوچه عبور میکردم، دیدمش. (vaghti az kuche obur mikardam, didamesh.) “When I was passing through the alley, I saw him.”
- عبور عابر پیاده از اینجا. (obur-e âber-e piyâde az injâ.) “Pedestrian crossing here.”
Cultural note
The word عبور appears on standard Iranian road signs in the phrase عبور ممنوع, the equivalent of “no entry” or “no crossing,” often displayed at restricted intersections, railroad crossings, and military perimeters. The Arabic root ع-ب-ر is also shared with the word عبری (Ebri), meaning Hebrew, as both Hebrew and Arabic draw on the same ancient Semitic root relating to crossing or passage. In literary Persian, عبور carries a metaphorical weight, appearing in poetry to mean passing through life, grief, or time.