What it means
پرسش (porsesh) means question, query, or formal inquiry. It comes from the pure Persian verb پرسیدن (porsidan, to ask), with the native suffix -esh turning the action into a noun. Its everyday counterpart is سؤال (so’âl), borrowed from Arabic, which you will hear more often in casual speech. When you read an official document, a school worksheet, an interview transcript, or a news piece, پرسش is typically the form used. In formal administrative correspondence, پرسش also carries the sense of an official inquiry submitted in writing.
How to use it
- پرسش بعدی رو بخون. (porsesh-e ba’di ro bekhun.) “Read the next question.”
- این پرسش جواب روشنی نداره. (in porsesh javâb-e rowshani nadâre.) “This question has no clear answer.”
- کارمند پرسشهایی درباره پرونده داشت. (kârmand porsesh-hâyi darbâre-ye parvande dâsht.) “The employee had questions about the file.”
- پرسشوپاسخ در پایان جلسه برگزار شد. (porsesh-o-pâsokh dar pâyân-e jalase bargozâr shod.) “A question-and-answer session was held at the end of the meeting.”
Cultural note
The Pure Persian Movement (فرهنگستان زبان و ادب فارسی, Farhangestan-e Zabân va Adab-e Fârsi) actively promotes پرسش over سؤال and پاسخ (pâsokh) over جواب (javâb). This pair, پرسش و پاسخ (porsesh-o-pâsokh), has become the standard format label for Q and A sections in official media, textbooks, and government documents. In everyday Tehran speech, most people still say سؤال without a second thought, but in any formal context, پرسش signals that the speaker is aware of and respecting the native-Persian norm.