What it means
صندلی عقب (sandali-ye aqab) is the back seat of a car or minibus. Both core components of this compound came into Persian through Arabic: صندلی (sandali, seat) is formed from the Arabic-borrowed root صندل (sandal) plus the Persian suffix ـی, and عقب (aqab) is a straightforwardly Arabic word meaning “rear” or “behind.” The phrase is completely standard in everyday speech. Its counterpart is صندلی جلو (sandali-ye jolo), the front seat.
How to use it
- بچهها بشینید صندلی عقب. (bachcha beshinid sandali-ye aqab.) “Kids, sit in the back seat.”
- صندلی عقب جا داره؟ (sandali-ye aqab ja dare?) “Is there room in the back seat?”
- کمربند صندلی عقب رو ببند. (kamarband-e sandali-ye aqab ro beband.) “Buckle the back seat belt.”
- یه نفر صندلی عقب میخواد بیاد؟ (ye nafar sandali-ye aqab mikhad biad?) “Does anyone want to come in the back?”
Cultural note
In Iranian taxis and ride-share services like Snapp, passengers commonly sit in the front seat, so صندلی عقب is not automatically the default. On family road trips across Iran’s long highway network, the back seat is typically where children ride, and it is common for families to lay a blanket or cushion across the back seat for young children to sleep on during night drives. Safety awareness around back seat belt use has grown significantly in recent years following government campaigns.