What it means
روشویی (rushui) means “washbasin” or “bathroom sink,” the basin where you wash your hands and face. It is a pure Persian word built from رو (face) and the verb شستن (to wash), so it literally points to the place for washing your face. The same word often covers the whole little washing area or vanity around the basin, while سینک (sink) tends to mean the kitchen sink. For the toilet itself, Iranians use a separate word, دستشویی (dastshui), which can also mean the whole restroom.
How to use it
- دستاتو تو روشویی بشور (dastâto tu rushui beshur) “wash your hands in the washbasin”
- روشویی دستشویی گرفته (rushui-ye dastshui gerefte) “the bathroom sink is clogged”
- شیر روشویی چکه میکنه (shir-e rushui chekke mikone) “the basin tap is dripping”
- آینه رو بالای روشویی نصب کردیم (âyne ro bâlâ-ye rushui nasb kardim) “we mounted the mirror above the washbasin”
Cultural note
In many Iranian homes the روشویی sits just outside the toilet room, sometimes in a separate little space with a mirror, so the basin and the toilet are not always in the same room. This split keeps the area for washing hands and face apart from the toilet itself. A small towel or a bar of soap by the روشویی is a normal sight for guests to use.