پسر

What it means

پسر (pesar) means “boy” or “son.” It is one of the most basic Persian nouns and has both literal and affectionate uses.

How to use it

• پسر من شش ساله است (pesar-e man shesh sâle ast) “My son is six years old”
• آن پسر دانشجو است (ân pesar dâneshju ast) “That boy is a student”
• پسر خوبی است (pesar-e khubi ast) “He is a good boy”

Common pairings

• پسرعمو (pesar-amu) “paternal cousin (male)”
• پسرعمه (pesar-amme) “cousin via paternal aunt (male)”
• پسرخاله (pesar-khâle) “cousin via maternal aunt (male)”
• پسردایی (pesar-dâyi) “cousin via maternal uncle (male)”
• پسرها (pesar-hâ) “boys” (plural)

Cultural note

Persian has eight separate words for cousins, depending on whether the relationship is through the paternal or maternal side and whether the cousin is male or female. The four built from پسر cover all male cousins. The same precision exists for female cousins built from دختر.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab