What it means
پهن (pahn) means wide, broad, or flat. It is a native Persian word from Middle Persian, used for things that extend across a horizontal plane: a wide road, a broad forehead, or a flat surface. The related verb پهن کردن (pahn kardan) means to spread out or to lay something flat, which is one of the most practical uses of the root in daily life. A close synonym for flat surfaces is صاف (sâf), but صاف more specifically means smooth, while پهن focuses on breadth and spread. The antonym for narrow is تنگ (tang).
How to use it
- این جاده خیلی پهنه. (In jâdde kheyli pahne.) “This road is very wide.”
- رومیزی رو روی میز پهن کن. (Rumizi ro ruye miz pahn kon.) “Spread the tablecloth on the table.”
- لباساشو تو حیاط پهن کرده. (Lebâsâsho tu hayât pahn karde.) “She has spread the clothes out in the yard.”
- داره با پهنترین لبخند نگام میکنه. (Dâre bâ pahntarin labkhand negâm mikone.) “He is looking at me with the broadest smile.”
Cultural note
The verb پهن کردن, to spread out, is inseparable from the traditional Iranian sofre (سفره), the cloth or spread laid on the floor for meals. Setting the sofre, called سفره انداختن (sofre andâkhtan) or پهن کردن سفره (pahn kardan-e sofre), is a ritual act of hospitality in Iranian households. The breadth of the sofre, how much food is laid across it, signals the generosity of the host.