What it means
پرستار (parastâr) means nurse, the trained healthcare worker who tends to patients in hospitals, clinics, and homes. The word comes from the Persian verb پرستیدن (parastidan), which carries the meaning of attending to someone with care or devotion. The suffix -ار (-âr) marks the person who performs that action. The same root gives us the verb پرستاری کردن (parastâri kardan = to nurse, to provide nursing care). In modern usage, پرستار is the standard clinical term and covers both male and female nurses equally.
How to use it
- پرستار داروم رو آورد. (parastâr dârum ro âvard.) “The nurse brought my medicine.”
- خواهرم پرستاره. (khâharam parastâre.) “My sister is a nurse.”
- باید با پرستار حرف بزنی. (bâyad bâ parastâr harf bezani.) “You need to speak with the nurse.”
- پرستارا خیلی زحمت کشیدن. (parastârâ kheyli zahmat keshidan.) “The nurses worked very hard.”
Cultural note
Nursing in Iran is a state-regulated profession requiring a university degree, and پرستار holds genuine professional respect in Iranian society. During major crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Iranian nurses drew significant public attention and were widely acknowledged in social media and state media alike. The compound پرستاری (nursing as a field) is also used as a university faculty name. Historically, the verb پرستیدن also carried the meaning of worship, so the word پرستار carries a faint etymological echo of devoted care that suits the profession.