What it means
قیچی (qeychi) means scissors. The word came into Persian from Turkic qayçı, meaning cutter, and has been part of everyday Persian speech for so long that most speakers do not register it as a loan. It refers to any type of scissors: kitchen scissors, fabric scissors, nail scissors, or barber shears. There is no competing native Persian word in common use. In professional contexts you might hear قیچی خیاطی (qeychi-ye khayyâti) for tailor’s scissors to distinguish them from household ones.
How to use it
- قیچی رو بده بهم. (qeychio bede beham.) “Pass me the scissors.”
- با قیچی بریدمش. (bâ qeychi boridamesh.) “I cut it with scissors.”
- قیچیام کُند شده. (qeychiyam kond shode.) “My scissors have gone blunt.”
- این قیچی برای پارچهس، نه کاغذ. (in qeychi barâ-ye pârche-s, na kâghaz.) “These scissors are for fabric, not paper.”
Cultural note
Scissors hold a small but firm place in Iranian superstition. Leaving scissors open is considered bad luck in some regions, and there is a folk belief that passing scissors directly hand to hand, rather than setting them down first, causes a quarrel between the two people. Barbers and tailors in traditional bazaars kept their scissors as prized professional tools, often with decorative handles, and a good pair was an object of pride.