What it means
رمان (român) is the standard Persian word for a novel, that is, a long work of prose fiction. The word was borrowed directly from French “roman” and entered Persian in the late Qajar and early Pahlavi eras. It is now completely naturalized and used by all speakers regardless of register. A close related term is داستان (dâstân), which is broader and covers any story or narrative, short or long, while رمان always refers specifically to a full-length novel.
How to use it
- دارم یه رمان جدید میخونم. (dâram ye român-e jadid mikhoonam.) “I’m reading a new novel.”
- این رمان رو نویسندهی معروفی نوشته. (in român ro nevisande-ye ma’rufi neveshte.) “A famous author wrote this novel.”
- رمانهای ایرانی خیلی جالبن. (român-hâ-ye irâni kheili jâlebân.) “Iranian novels are really interesting.”
- میخوام یه رمان عاشقانه پیدا کنم. (mikhâm ye român-e âshegâne peydâ konam.) “I want to find a romance novel.”
Cultural note
The modern Persian novel emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, shaped by translation movements and constitutional-era social ferment. Sadegh Hedayat’s “Buf-e Kur” (The Blind Owl, 1937) is widely considered the cornerstone of Persian literary fiction and remains one of the most studied works in the language. Today Iranian publishers release thousands of new novels each year, and رمان has become one of the most commercially active segments of the Persian book market.