سکه
سکه (sekke) means coin in everyday Persian, but in Iran it most often refers to gold investment coins. An Arabic loanword from sikka (die, stamp), it carries serious financial weight in Iranian culture.
Glossary
اسکناس
اسکناس (eskenâs) means banknote or paper bill in Persian. A European loanword via Russian, it is the everyday word for any paper currency you hand over at a shop or exchange bureau.
ریال
ریال (riâl) is Iran’s official currency unit, borrowed into Persian from Spanish real via European transmission. In daily speech Iranians use toman instead, making rial primarily a formal and legal term.
تومان
تومان (tomân) is the currency unit Iranians use in everyday speech. It comes from a Mongol word meaning ten thousand, and equals ten rials, though Iranians simply call their prices in toman.
دلار
دلار (dolâr) is the Persian word for dollar, borrowed directly from English. It is by far the most referenced foreign currency in Iran and a daily benchmark for prices.
ارز
ارز (arz) means foreign currency or forex in Persian. A native Persian word inherited from Middle Persian, it now refers specifically to foreign exchange and hard currency in Iranian banking and daily speech.
نرخ
نرخ (narkh) means rate or price in Persian, a native Persian word used for exchange rates, interest rates, and market prices in everyday and formal speech.
حراج
حراج (harâj) means a sale, clearance, or auction in Persian. Borrowed from Arabic, it describes discounted selling events and public auctions alike.
چانه زدن
چانه زدن (chune zadan) is a pure Persian compound verb meaning to haggle or bargain. Literally “to work the jaw”, it describes the back-and-forth negotiation expected in Iranian bazaars and markets.
تخفیف
تخفیف (takhfif) is an Arabic-origin word meaning discount or price reduction. It comes from the Arabic root خ-ف-ف (to lighten) and is used in shops, bazaars, and online sales across Iran.