What it means
صخره (sakhre) is a rock, cliff face, or large boulder, the kind of hard, immovable stone formation found on mountain sides and coastlines. The word is borrowed from Arabic, where the initial letter ص and the broken plural صخور (sokhur) mark it clearly as Arabic in origin. In Persian it is more specific than the general word سنگ (sang), which means stone or rock in a broader sense. صخره implies size and solidity, a formation you climb or shelter against rather than pick up. On coastlines it often describes sea stacks or rocky shores.
How to use it
- کوهنورد به صخره چنگ زد. (kuh-navard be sakhre chang zad.) “The climber gripped the rock face.”
- ماهیگیرا روی صخرههای کنار دریا نشسته بودن. (mâhigirâ ruy-e sakhre-hây-e kenâr-e daryâ neshaste budan.) “The fishermen were sitting on the rocks by the sea.”
- صخرهها لغزندهان، مواظب باش. (sakhre-hâ laghzandean, movâzeb bâsh.) “The rocks are slippery, be careful.”
- رنگ صخرهها تو غروب نارنجیه. (rang-e sakhre-hâ tu ghorub nâranjiye.) “The color of the rocks at sunset is orange.”
Cultural note
Iran’s mountain ranges, especially the Zagros and Alborz, are studded with dramatic صخره formations that have shaped both human settlement and spiritual practice. Rock-cut tombs and Achaemenid reliefs, such as those at Naqsh-e Rostam near Persepolis, were carved directly into صخره faces, making the word carry an archaeological weight alongside its everyday meaning. Rock climbing, called صخرهنوردی (sakhre-navardi), has grown into a popular sport in Iran over the past two decades.