What it means
قدم زدن (qadam zadan) means to stroll or to walk leisurely, without any particular destination or urgency. The word قدم (qadam) is borrowed from Arabic, where it means foot or step. Combined with the native Persian verb زدن (zadan, to strike or to do), the compound describes the relaxed, unhurried act of walking for pleasure or for a breath of fresh air. A close synonym is پیادهروی کردن (piade-ravi kardan), which leans more toward purposeful walking or hiking, while قدم زدن keeps the leisurely, casual tone.
How to use it
- بیا یه کم قدم بزنیم. (Bia ye kam qadam bezanim.) “Come on, let’s take a short stroll.”
- هر شب توی پارک قدم میزنم. (Har shab tu-ye park qadam mizanam.) “I take a walk in the park every evening.”
- دوست دارم کنار دریا قدم بزنم. (Dust daram kenar-e darya qadam bezanam.) “I love to walk by the sea.”
- بعد از شام رفتیم قدم زدیم. (Ba’d az sham raftim qadam zadim.) “After dinner we went for a stroll.”
Cultural note
Evening strolling, known informally as قدم زدن, is a deeply embedded social ritual in Iranian cities. Families and friends gather on tree-lined streets, riverside promenades, and park paths after dinner, especially on summer evenings. The act is less about exercise and more about conversation, fresh air, and togetherness. In Isfahan, the bridges Sio-se-pol and Khaju have served for centuries as famous promenades where people come specifically to قدم زدن and watch the river.