What it means
پاداش (pâdâsh) means a bonus, reward, or prize given to someone in recognition of effort, achievement, or good conduct. It is a genuine Persian word, composed of two elements: پاد (pâd), an old Persian prefix meaning counter or recompense, and داش (dâsh), derived from the past stem of دادن (dâdan), to give. In the workplace, پاداش refers to a performance bonus or incentive payment beyond the regular salary. It can also describe a prize or award in non-employment contexts. A related word is جایزه (jâyeze), which leans more toward prize in a competition, while پاداش tends to emphasise merit-based recognition.
How to use it
- پاداش گرفتم. (pâdâsh gereftam.) “I got a bonus.”
- پاداش آخر سال داری؟ (pâdâsh-e âkhar-e sâl dâri?) “Do you get an end-of-year bonus?”
- مدیر بهم پاداش داد. (modir beham pâdâsh dâd.) “The manager gave me a reward.”
- پاداش تیم چقدره؟ (pâdâsh-e tim cheghadreh?) “How much is the team bonus?”
Cultural note
پاداش in Iranian workplaces is distinct from عیدی (eydi), the mandatory Nowruz cash gift. While عیدی is a legal obligation set by the Labour Ministry each year, پاداش is discretionary and based on performance or employer generosity. In government and semi-public organisations, end-of-year پاداش payments follow regulated formulas tied to salary grades. In private companies, the amount varies widely and is often a source of negotiation or quiet comparison among colleagues. The word also appears in everyday moral language, as in the phrase پاداش خوبی (pâdâsh-e khobi), used to mean someone will get what they deserve for a good deed.