What it means
سختافزار (sakht-afzar) means hardware: the physical components of a computer or electronic device, from the motherboard and processor to the keyboard and screen. It is a Persian compound coined as a calque of the English word “hardware”: sakht (سخت) means hard or physical, and afzar (افزار) is an old Persian word for tool or instrument. The counterpart is نرمافزار (narm-afzar, software). In informal speech هاردور (hardver) also circulates, but سختافزار is the dominant term in formal and written contexts.
How to use it
- مشکل سختافزاریه، کارت گرافیک سوخته. (Moshkel sakht-afzariye, kart-e graphic sukhte.) “It’s a hardware problem, the graphics card is burnt out.”
- سختافزار این لپتاپ خیلی قویه. (Sakht-afzar-e in laptop kheyli ghaviye.) “The hardware on this laptop is very powerful.”
- تعمیر سختافزار گرونه. (Tamir-e sakht-afzar garuneh.) “Hardware repair is expensive.”
- ارتقای سختافزار لازمه یا نرمافزار کافیه؟ (Erteqa-ye sakht-afzar lazeme ya narm-afzar kafiye?) “Is a hardware upgrade needed or is the software sufficient?”
Cultural note
Like نرمافزار, this word was introduced by the Academy of Persian Language and Literature as the official equivalent of “hardware.” Both words share the element افزار, which in classical Persian meant tool or implement, giving users an immediate structural parallel between the two concepts. The pairing helps Persian speakers grasp the hardware/software distinction quickly. سختافزار appears regularly in technical documentation, computer-repair shops, and university curricula across Iran.