What it means
رفوکاری (rafu-kâri) refers to the craft of mending or darning damaged fabric, especially wool and knitwear, by weaving new thread through the worn area until the hole disappears. The root رفو (rafu) comes from Arabic, and the suffix -کاری (-kâri) is a native Persian suffix meaning craft or work, so the word itself is a mixed Arabic-Persian compound. A close synonym in everyday speech is تعمیر لباس (ta’mir-e lebâs), meaning clothes repair, though rafu-kâri specifically implies the fine hand-weaving technique rather than stitching or patching.
How to use it
- این ژاکت رو میشه رفوکاری کرد؟ (in zhâket ro mishe rafu-kâri kard?) “Can this sweater be darned?”
- رفوکاری این فرش خیلی وقت میبره. (rafu-kâri-ye in farsh kheyli vaqt mi-bare.) “Darning this rug takes a long time.”
- یه رفوکار تو بازار پیدا کردم. (ye rafu-kâr tu bâzâr peydâ kardam.) “I found a mender in the bazaar.”
- جورابهام رو رفوکاری کردم تا دور ننداختمشون. (jurâb-hâm ro rafu-kâri kardam tâ dur nandâkhtameshun.) “I darned my socks so I would not throw them out.”
Cultural note
Rafu-kâri has deep roots in Iranian household economy, where throwing away damaged but otherwise sound fabric was considered wasteful. Skilled menders, called رفوکار (rafu-kâr), operated stalls inside covered bazaars across Iran and could restore handwoven wool and silk items so seamlessly that the repair was invisible. The trade remains active today, particularly for expensive Persian carpets and traditional garments. The word also carries a colloquial figurative sense: saying someone needs رفوکاری can mean their situation or argument has visible holes that need patching.