What it means
قوری (quri) means teapot, the vessel used to brew concentrated tea that is then poured into a glass and diluted with hot water from a samovar. The word appears in Classical Persian as غوری (ghuri), though the etymology beyond that classical form is not established. A related but distinct object is سماور (samovar), which holds the hot water and keeps the قوری warm on top of it. The two always work together in Iranian tea culture.
How to use it
- قوری رو بذار رو سماور. (quri ro bezar ru samovar.) “Put the teapot on the samovar.”
- قوری خالیه، باید دوباره دم بکشیم. (quri khaliye, bayad dobare dam bekeshim.) “The teapot is empty, we need to brew again.”
- اون قوری چینیه خیلی قشنگه. (un quri-ye chini-ye kheili qashange.) “That porcelain teapot is really beautiful.”
- یه قوری چای درست کن. (ye quri chay dorost kon.) “Make a pot of tea.”
Cultural note
In Iranian homes the قوری sits on top of the سماور (samovar), keeping the brewed tea warm by the steam rising from below. Guests are never offered a tea glass without first checking that the قوری has been brewing long enough, usually five to ten minutes, for the right depth of color and flavor. Offering weak tea is considered poor hospitality. The قوری is so central to daily life that “چای قوری” (quri tea, brewed in a pot) is sometimes contrasted with instant or bag tea to signal quality and care.