What it means
پرده (parde) means curtain, screen, or veil. It descends directly from Middle Persian “parda,” making it one of the oldest everyday words in the language. In the home context it refers to the window curtain or room divider. In a theatre or cinema it means the stage curtain or projection screen. Medically, پرده گوش (parde-ye gush) is the eardrum, and پرده چشم (parde-ye cheshm) refers to the membrane of the eye. The word also appears in classical Persian poetry and music, where a پرده is a musical mode or register on a stringed instrument. A close synonym for window curtain in everyday speech is پارچه پرده (pârche-ye parde), though most people simply say پرده.
How to use it
- پردهها رو بکش تا آفتاب بیاد تو. (Parde-hâ ro bekesh tâ âftâb biyâd tu.) “Pull the curtains open so the sunlight comes in.”
- پرده سینما خیلی بزرگ بود. (Parde-ye sinemâ kheyli bozorg bud.) “The cinema screen was very large.”
- باید پردههای اتاق رو عوض کنیم. (Bâyad parde-hâye otâgh ro avaz konim.) “We need to change the curtains in the room.”
- پرده گوشم درد میکنه. (Parde-ye gusham dard mikone.) “My eardrum hurts.”
Cultural note
پرده carries deep cultural and poetic resonance in Persian tradition beyond its practical meaning as a curtain. In classical Sufi poetry the پرده is a recurring metaphor for the veil between the human world and the divine, something that conceals truth from the seeker. In traditional Persian music the same word names the frets or modes of instruments like the tar and setar. Practically, in many Iranian homes thick curtains are essential for privacy and for blocking the intense summer sun, so choosing and hanging good پردهها is a considered household decision.