What it means
رطوبت (rotubat) means humidity or moisture, referring both to the atmospheric dampness measured in weather reports and to the general quality of being wet or damp. The word is borrowed from Arabic, where the root ر-ط-ب (r-t-b) carries the core meaning of wetness and ripeness. In Persian it has been in use for centuries and is fully naturalized. A common related adjective is مرطوب (martub, moist or humid), also from the same Arabic root.
How to use it
- رطوبت هوا امروز خیلی زیاده. (rotubat-e havâ emruz kheyli ziâde.) “The air humidity is very high today.”
- رطوبت دیوارا رو خراب کرده. (rotubat divârâ ro kharâb karde.) “Moisture has damaged the walls.”
- تو شمال رطوبت خیلی بیشتره. (tu shomâl rotubat kheyli bishtar-e.) “In the north it is much more humid.”
- دستگاه رطوبتسنج چی نشون میده؟ (dastgâh-e rotubat-sanj chi neshun mide?) “What does the hygrometer show?”
Cultural note
رطوبت is the word Iranians reach for when describing the sticky, oppressive summer heat of cities like Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas, where high temperatures combine with high humidity to make conditions genuinely dangerous. The term also appears frequently in discussions of home maintenance, since the damp climate of the Caspian coastal provinces causes significant problems with mold and structural moisture. Weather broadcasts always include رطوبت as a standard metric alongside temperature.