What it means
روسری (rusari) means headscarf, a piece of fabric worn over the head and around the neck. The word is a native Persian compound: رو (ru), meaning surface or on top of, combined with سر (sar), meaning head, giving the literal sense of something placed on top of the head. It is the most common and neutral term for a headscarf in everyday Persian, used regardless of the religious or stylistic context in which it is worn. A closely related word is مقنعه (moqanne’e), which refers to a tighter, pinned head covering with a different shape, used more in formal religious or official contexts.
How to use it
- روسریم کجاست؟ (Rusariam kojâste?) “Where is my headscarf?”
- یه روسری رنگی خریدم. (Ye rusari-ye rangi kharidam.) “I bought a colourful headscarf.”
- روسریت خیلی قشنگه. (Rusariat kheyli ghashange.) “Your headscarf is very pretty.”
- باد روسریم رو برد. (Bâd rusariam ro bord.) “The wind blew away my headscarf.”
Cultural note
In Iran, wearing the روسری in public has been legally required for women since 1983, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The requirement has been a persistent point of social negotiation, with many women wearing headscarves loosely pushed back on the head, a style colloquially called bad-hejabi (imperfect covering). Following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 while in morality police custody, mass protests erupted across Iran, with many women publicly removing their روسری as an act of civil resistance. Outside Iran, روسری is simply a neutral word for a headscarf worn for fashion, warmth, or personal choice.