What it means
رگ (rag) is the everyday Persian word for a vein or blood vessel, one of the tubes that carry blood through the body. It is a native Persian word, traceable to Middle Persian. In casual speech it often blurs with the idea of nerves too, so when someone says رگش زده بیرون (ragesh zade birun, “his vein is popping out”) they mean he is angry or worked up. The more clinical word for artery is سرخرگ (sorkh-rag), and a vein in the strict medical sense is سیاهرگ (siyah-rag), both built on رگ itself.
How to use it
- دکتر نتونست رگمو پیدا کنه. (doktor natunest ragamo peyda kone.) “The doctor could not find my vein.”
- رگ دستم زده بیرون. (rag-e dastam zade birun.) “The vein on my hand is sticking out.”
- یه رگ غیرت تو وجودش هست. (ye rag-e gheyrat tu vojudesh hast.) “There is a streak of pride in him.”
- وقتی عصبانی میشه رگ گردنش باد میکنه. (vaghti asabani mishe rag-e gardanesh bad mikone.) “When he gets angry the vein in his neck swells up.”
Cultural note
رگ shows up constantly in everyday expressions about temperament, not just anatomy. Saying کسی رگ خواب طرف رو داره (kasi rag-e khab-e taraf ro dare) means someone knows exactly how to handle or persuade another person, literally knowing their “sleeping vein.” The phrase رگ غیرت (rag-e gheyrat) points to a sudden surge of honor or protective pride. Nurses and patients also use رگ گرفتن (rag gereftan) for setting up an IV line, a phrase you will hear in any Iranian hospital.