What it means
سقف (saghf) refers to the ceiling of a room, that is, the surface above your head when you are indoors. Persian borrowed this word directly from Arabic سقف (saqf), where it carries the same meaning. In formal or technical speech, سقف can also refer to a roof structure. In everyday conversation, Iranians often distinguish بالای سقف (bâlâ-ye saghf, the top of the roof) from زیر سقف (zir-e saghf, under the ceiling). A practical synonym for the exterior roof is بام (bâm), which is a native Persian word.
How to use it
- سقف این اتاق خیلی بلنده. (saghf-e in otâq kheyli bolande.) “The ceiling of this room is very high.”
- سقف داره آب میچکه. (saghf dâre âb michake.) “The ceiling is leaking water.”
- رنگ سقف رو عوض کردیم. (rang-e saghf ro avaz kardim.) “We changed the color of the ceiling.”
- یه ترک توی سقف افتاده. (ye tarak tu-ye saghf oftâde.) “A crack has appeared in the ceiling.”
Cultural note
Elaborate ceilings have been a point of pride in Iranian architecture for centuries. Muqarnas, the honeycomb-style plasterwork found in mosques and historic houses, transformed the سقف into an art form. In the Ali Qapu palace in Isfahan, the music room ceiling was carved with hundreds of vessel-shaped niches, both for decoration and for acoustic effect. Modern Iranians use سقف کاذب (saghf-e kâzeb, false ceiling) for the suspended ceilings common in contemporary apartments.