What it means
رشوه (reshve) is the Persian word for a bribe, borrowed directly from the Arabic رشوة (rishwa), which comes from the root ر-ش-و. In practice it covers any payment or gift made to obtain a service, a favour, or faster treatment that should be provided through legitimate channels. The verb رشوه دادن means to give a bribe, and رشوه گرفتن means to take one. A softer near-synonym you might hear is چربکردن (charb kardan, literally greasing), which is more euphemistic.
How to use it
- رشوه دادن غیرقانونیه. (reshve dâdan gheyr-e qânuni-ye.) “Giving a bribe is illegal.”
- مامور رشوه گرفت. (ma’mur reshve gereft.) “The officer took a bribe.”
- بدون رشوه کارا پیش نمیره. (bedun-e reshve kârâ pish nemi-re.) “Without a bribe things don’t move forward.”
- اون پرونده با رشوه حل شد. (un parvande bâ reshve hall shod.) “That case was resolved with a bribe.”
Cultural note
رشوه is openly discussed in Iranian public life and media, and combating it has been a stated goal of successive governments. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index consistently ranks Iran in the lower half globally, and رشوه is widely understood to affect sectors from customs and construction permits to healthcare. Saying someone رشوه خور (reshve-khor, a bribe-eater) is a serious insult in everyday speech.