وگرنه
وگرنه (vagarna) means “otherwise, or else.” Pure Persian compound built from va (and), gar (if), and na (not): “and if not.” The everyday warning conjunction.
Glossary
اگرچه
اگرچه (agarche) means “even though, although.” Pure Persian concessive, more formal and more written than its sibling harchand. Compound of agar (if) and che (that).
هرچند
هرچند (harchand) means “although, even though.” Pure Persian concessive conjunction. Compound of har (every, however) and chand (much, several): “however much.”
بلکه
بلکه (balke) means “rather, but instead.” The contrastive conjunction Persian uses to correct a previous statement. Often paired with negation in the na X balke Y structure.
اما
اما (ammâ) means “but, however.” The bookish counterpart to the everyday vali. Standard contrastive conjunction in formal and written Persian.
مقنعه
مقنعه (maqna’e) is the shaped head-and-shoulders veil required for Iranian schoolgirls and many female state employees. The garment that defines daily school-rule negotiation.
چادر
چادر (châdor) is the full-length cloak draped over the head and held closed at the chin. Pure Persian for “tent.” Worn by choice by many Iranian women, mandatory in some institutions.
حجاب
حجاب (hejâb) means “covering” or “veil.” In modern Iran, the word also names the legal regime, the protests against it, and the contested politics of women’s bodies in public.
تقدیر
تقدیر (taqdir) means destiny or divine predestination. The Arabic-rooted concept underneath Iranian fatalism, the qaza-va-qadar logic of accepting what is written.
شانس
شانس (shâns) is luck, the everyday word for chance. Borrowed from French chance. Lighter and more modern than bakht. The word an Iranian uses when they win a parking spot or a lottery ticket.