What it means
پشتی (poshti) is a firm cushion placed against a wall or low furniture for back support while sitting on the floor. The word comes directly from پشت (posht), the native Persian word for “back” or “spine,” with the common suffix ی forming a noun that means roughly “the back thing.” It is not a sleeping pillow, which would be بالش (bâlesh) or متکا (motakkâ). A پشتی is thicker and firmer, designed to hold its shape while you lean into it during a long sitting session.
How to use it
- یه پشتی بذار پشتم، کمرم درد میکنه. (ye poshti bezâr poshtem, kamaram dard mikone.) “Put a cushion behind my back, my lower back hurts.”
- پشتیها رو دور اتاق چیدیم. (poshti-hâ ro dor-e otâq chidim.) “We arranged the cushions around the room.”
- این پشتی خیلی نرمه، حس خوبی داره. (in poshti kheyli narme, hes khubi dâre.) “This cushion is very soft, it feels nice.”
- کنار کرسی یه پشتی گذاشتیم. (kenâr-e korsi ye poshti gozâshtim.) “We placed a cushion next to the korsi.”
Cultural note
Traditional Iranian sitting rooms and teahouses (قهوهخانه, qahve-khâne) are arranged with پشتی cushions lining the walls so that people can sit comfortably on carpeted floors for hours. This style of seating remains common at family gatherings, especially during Nowruz visits when many guests arrive and chairs run short. The پشتی is also a standard fixture beside the کرسی (korsi), the low heated table used in winter, where family members sit on all four sides and lean back into their cushions.