What it means
پماد (pomâd) refers to a medicated ointment or cream applied directly to the skin to treat burns, rashes, infections, or muscle pain. The word is borrowed from French pommade, which Persian dictionaries mark as فر. (French). The French word originally referred to an ointment made with apple pulp, from Latin pomum, meaning fruit or apple. In modern Persian, پماد is used for any thick topical preparation you spread on the skin, whether antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or antifungal.
How to use it
- یه پماد آنتی بیوتیک میخوام (ye pomâd-e ântibiotik mikhâm) “I want an antibiotic ointment”
- پماد رو روی زخم بمال (pomâd ro ruye zakhm bemâl) “apply the ointment on the wound”
- این پماد برای سوختگیه (in pomâd barâye sukhtagiye) “this ointment is for burns”
- شب موقع خواب پماد بزن (shab mowqe khâb pomâd bezan) “apply the ointment at bedtime”
Cultural note
In Iran, pharmacies stock a wide range of پماد products that are sold without a prescription for common skin complaints. پماد سوختگی (burn ointment) and پماد آنتی بیوتیک (antibiotic ointment) are among the most frequently requested items. The verbs used with پماد are زدن (zadan) and مالیدن (mâlidan), so you say پماد زدن or پماد مالیدن when telling someone to apply an ointment.