What it means
راه (râh) is a pure Persian word with ancient Iranian roots, traceable through Middle Persian rāh and the broader Iranian language family. It means “way,” “road,” or “path” and is far broader than a physical road: it can refer to a method, a direction, or a route in the figurative sense as well. A close synonym is مسیر (masir), which leans more specifically toward a route or trajectory, while راه is the everyday, general-purpose word for any kind of way or path.
How to use it
- راه طولانیه. (râh tulâniye.) “The road is long.”
- راهو بلدی؟ (râho baladi?) “Do you know the way?”
- از کدوم راه بریم؟ (az kodoom râh berim?) “Which road should we take?”
- راه دیگهای نیست. (râh dighe-i nist.) “There is no other way.”
Cultural note
راه is one of the most frequently used words in Persian poetry and proverbs. The phrase راه دور است (the road is far) appears in classical literature from Rumi onward as a metaphor for a long spiritual journey. In modern spoken Persian, Iranians use راه both literally for physical roads and figuratively in expressions like راه حل (râh-e hall, solution, literally “the way of solving”).