What it means
قند خون (qand-e khun) literally means “sugar of the blood” and refers to blood glucose levels. It is a two-part compound: قند (qand), meaning sugar, was borrowed into Persian from Arabic قَنْد, which itself derives from Sanskrit khaṇḍa (crystallized sugar). The Arabic form displaced the older native Persian kand. خون (khun), meaning blood, is a core pure-Persian word. Because of this mixed heritage the compound as a whole is classified as mixed origin. The medical synonym گلوکز خون (glukoz-e khun, “blood glucose”) appears in lab reports, but قند خون is what speakers say in conversation.
How to use it
- قند خونم بالاست. (Qand-e khunam bâlâ-st.) “My blood sugar is high.”
- باید ناشتا بری آزمایش قند خون بدی. (Bâyad nâshtâ beri âzmâyesh-e qand-e khun bedi.) “You need to go for a fasting blood sugar test.”
- قند خونش افتاد پایین. (Qand-e khunash oftâd pâyin.) “His blood sugar dropped.”
- دستگاه قند خون خونه داری؟ (Dastgâh-e qand-e khun khune dâri?) “Do you have a blood sugar monitor at home?”
Cultural note
Because diabetes is so common in Iran, قند خون is a phrase most people encounter regularly, whether at the pharmacy, in a doctor’s office, or at home. Fasting blood sugar tests (آزمایش قند خون ناشتا) are a routine part of annual checkups. The informal phrase “قندم افتاد” (qandam oftâd, literally “my sugar dropped”) is used colloquially to describe feeling dizzy or faint, not always in a clinical sense.