What it means
صندلی جلو (sandali-ye jolo) is the front seat of a car or other vehicle, most often meaning the passenger seat next to the driver. The word صندلی (sandali) is built from the Arabic-borrowed root صندل (sandal) plus the Persian suffix ـی; it entered everyday Persian through Arabic. جلو (jolo) means “front” or “ahead” and is a native Persian word attested since Middle Persian. Together they form a transparent compound that any Persian speaker understands immediately. A close companion phrase is صندلی عقب (sandali-ye aqab), the back seat.
How to use it
- میخوای صندلی جلو بشینی؟ (mikhai sandali-ye jolo beshini?) “Do you want to sit in the front seat?”
- صندلی جلو رو برام نگهدار. (sandali-ye jolo ro baram negah-dar.) “Hold the front seat for me.”
- بچهها نباید صندلی جلو بشینن. (bachcha nabayad sandali-ye jolo beshinan.) “Children should not sit in the front seat.”
- صندلی جلو رو عقب بکش تا راحت باشم. (sandali-ye jolo ro aqab bekesh ta rahat basham.) “Push the front seat back so I can be comfortable.”
Cultural note
In Iranian car culture, being offered the front seat is a small gesture of hospitality. Guests and elders are often invited to sit up front, while younger family members take the back. In taxis, sitting in the front next to the driver is common and socially normal, unlike in some Western countries where it might feel awkward. Many Iranians also adjust the front seat to give more legroom to back passengers on long trips.