What it means
روابط (ravâbet) is the Arabic broken plural of rābete (a tie, a link), from the root r-b-t, meaning to bind or connect. In Persian it almost always appears in this plural form. It refers to formal or official relations, most commonly diplomatic relations between states (روابط دیپلماتیک, ravâbet-e diplomâtik), but also to institutional or bilateral ties. In everyday speech, روابط can also describe interpersonal relationships, though the word rabete (singular, still Arabic-derived) is more common for personal ties.
How to use it
- روابط دو کشور قطع شد. (ravâbet-e do keshvar qat’ shod.) “Relations between the two countries were cut off.”
- روابط تجاری بین ایران و چین قویه. (ravâbet-e tejâri beyn-e irân va chin qavi-ye.) “Trade relations between Iran and China are strong.”
- میخواهیم روابط دوستانه داشته باشیم. (mikhâhim ravâbet-e dustâne dâshte bâshim.) “We want to have friendly relations.”
- روابط عمومی شرکت با مطبوعات خوبه. (ravâbet-e omumi-ye sherkat bâ matbu’ât khube.) “The company’s public relations with the press is good.”
Cultural note
Iran severed diplomatic relations with the United States in 1980 following the hostage crisis, and the phrase qat’-e ravâbet (cutting of relations) entered the permanent vocabulary of Iranian political commentary as a result. The compound روابط عمومی (ravâbet-e omumi) is the standard term for public relations (PR) departments in Iranian organizations, showing how the word spans both geopolitical and institutional registers. When Iranian state television covers foreign affairs, روابط is among the most frequently heard nouns in any given broadcast.