پا

What it means

پا (pâ) means “foot” or “leg.” Native Persian word, used for both the foot and the entire leg depending on context. Persian does not always distinguish the two as English does.

How to use it

• پایم درد می‌کند (pâyam dard mikonad) “My foot hurts” (or “my leg”)
• پاهای بلند دارد (pâ-hâ-ye boland dârad) “She has long legs”
• پا به پا (pâ be pâ) “step by step, alongside”

Common pairings and idioms

• پا تو کفش کسی کردن (pâ tu kafsh-e kasi kardan) “to interfere” (literally “to put your foot in someone’s shoe”)
• پا برهنه (pâ-berahne) “barefoot”
• زیر پا گذاشتن (zir-e pâ gozâshtan) “to violate, ignore” (literally “to put under foot”)
• پابه‌پا (pâ-be-pâ) “side by side, in step”

Plural and forms

• پاها (pâ-hâ) “feet, legs”
• پایم (pâyam) “my foot”

Register

Neutral. Universal.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab