What it means
پالتو (pâlto) is the standard Persian word for a long, warm overcoat worn over other clothing in cold weather. It is a loanword from the French paletot, which entered Persian in the nineteenth century as Iranians encountered European dress. Both men and women wear a pâlto in autumn and winter. A close alternative you will hear is کاپشن (kâpshen), though that typically refers to a shorter jacket or parka rather than a full-length coat.
How to use it
- امروز هوا سرده، پالتوت رو بپوش. (Emruz havâ sarde, pâlto-t ro bepush.) “It’s cold today, put your overcoat on.”
- این پالتو خیلی گرمه. (In pâlto kheyli garme.) “This overcoat is very warm.”
- پالتوم رو جا گذاشتم. (Pâlto-m ro jâ gozâshtam.) “I left my overcoat behind.”
- یه پالتوی خوب میخوام بخرم. (Ye pâlto-ye khub mikhâm bekharam.) “I want to buy a good overcoat.”
Cultural note
The word pâlto arrived in Persian during the Qajar period, when European fashion began influencing Iranian urban dress. It reflects a broader wave of French loanwords that entered Persian through diplomatic and trade contact in the nineteenth century. Today the word is completely naturalized and carries no foreign feeling to Persian speakers. In Tehran’s colder winters, a pâlto is considered a practical wardrobe essential rather than a luxury.