What it means
الاغ (olâgh) is the common everyday word for a donkey. It entered Persian as a Turkic-Mongol loanword, related to the Turkic word ulağ, which referred to a pack or relay animal used in postal and transport routes. The native Persian word for the same animal is خر (khar), which is older and more literary, but الاغ is the word most Iranians use in daily speech. In colloquial Persian, الاغ is also used as a mild insult meaning a foolish or stubborn person.
How to use it
- اون الاغ داره بار حمل میکنه. (oon olâgh dâre bâr haml mikone.) “That donkey is carrying a load.”
- الاغهای این روستا خیلی قوی هستن. (olâgh-hâye in rustâ kheili ghavi hastan.) “The donkeys of this village are very strong.”
- دهقان الاغشو به آسیاب برد. (dehghân olâghesho be âsiyâb bord.) “The farmer took his donkey to the mill.”
- این الاغه اصلاً حرف گوش نمیده. (in olâghe aslan harf gush nemide.) “This donkey does not listen at all.”
Cultural note
Throughout Iranian rural life, the donkey has been an indispensable working animal, particularly for carrying agricultural produce and water across uneven terrain where wheeled vehicles cannot go. The Mongol administrative word ulağ originally referred to the relay animal system used to deliver messages across the empire, and this administrative context shaped how the word entered Persian. In Persian proverbs and classical literature, the donkey often appears as a symbol of patience, stubbornness, or simple-mindedness, making الاغ a word with both practical and figurative weight.