What it means
پسورد (pasvord) is borrowed directly from the English word password and refers to a secret string of characters used to log into an account or device. It is the dominant term in colloquial speech. Two formal alternatives exist: رمز عبور (ramz-e obur), an Arabic-rooted phrase literally meaning passage code, and گذرواژه (gozarvâzhe), a Persian neologism coined by the Academy of Persian Language. In practice, most people say پسورد regardless of context.
How to use it
- پسوردمو یادم رفته. (pasvordamo yâdam rafte.) “I forgot my password.”
- پسورد وایفای چیه؟ (pasvord-e vâyfây chiye?) “What’s the Wi-Fi password?”
- پسوردتو عوض کن. (pasvordeto avaz kon.) “Change your password.”
- پسورد اشتباهه. (pasvord eshtebâhe.) “The password is wrong.”
Cultural note
Digital security awareness is growing in Iran partly because account takeovers and data breaches have affected major domestic platforms. Despite official encouragement to use Persian terminology, رمز عبور and گذرواژه remain largely confined to government websites and tech journalism, while پسورد is what people actually say. Sharing passwords with family members, especially for streaming services and phones, is common and considered normal within Iranian household culture.