زرنگ
زرنگ (zerang) means clever, sharp, or shrewd. A colloquial word with roots in Middle Persian, it praises street-smart resourcefulness rather than academic intelligence, and can carry a hint of cunning.
Glossary
تنبل
تنبل (tanbal) means lazy. A native Persian word with roots going back to Classical Persian, it is one of the most common everyday adjectives and carries a gently teasing tone in informal speech.
خودخواه
خودخواه (khodkhâh) means selfish. A pure Persian compound built from خود (self) and خواه (wanting), it describes someone who puts their own interests first, without care for others.
ذوق
ذوق (zogh) is a Persian word borrowed from Arabic, meaning delight, enthusiasm, or artistic flair. It captures both a passing burst of excitement and a deeper sense of taste and sensibility.
همدردی
همدردی (hamdardi) means sympathy or condolence in Persian. Built from ham (together) and dard (pain), it names the act of sharing someone else’s grief or difficulty.
همدلی
همدلی (hamdeli) means empathy or fellow-feeling: the capacity to feel with another person. A pure Persian compound of هم (together) and دل (heart), it is the direct Persian equivalent of the English “empathy.”
اشتیاق
اشتیاق (eshtiyâgh) is an ardent, burning desire or eagerness, often directed at a person, a place, or a goal. Borrowed from Arabic, it carries more emotional heat than simple “interest” or “enthusiasm.”
نشاط
نشاط (neshât) means vivacity, cheerfulness, and vital energy: the lively, animated quality of a person or occasion. Borrowed from Arabic, it belongs to formal and literary registers in modern Persian.
پکر
پکر (pekar) means down, glum, or in a funk: that low-grade, subdued dejection that is not quite sadness. A colloquial word of uncertain origin that is indispensable in everyday Tehran speech.
بغض
بغض (boghz) is the lump in the throat that forms when tears are held back. Borrowed from Arabic, it names a very specific emotional sensation: grief or resentment pressing up but not released.