What it means
سنگ تمام گذاشتن (sang-e tamâm gozâshtan) means “to put down the full stone,” that is, to make every possible effort, to spare nothing, to go all out for someone or something. The idiom is mixed in origin: سنگ (sang, stone, weight) is native Persian, while تمام (tamâm, complete, whole) is an Arabic loanword that entered Persian centuries ago and is now fully naturalized. گذاشتن (gozâshtan, to place, to put) is pure Persian. Together they form an idiomatic verb phrase meaning to place one’s full weight on the scales, to give everything one has.
How to use it
- برای عروسی دخترم سنگ تمام گذاشتم (barâye arusi-ye dokhtaram sang-e tamâm gozâshtam) “I went all out for my daughter’s wedding, I spared nothing”
- اون واسه دوستش سنگ تمام گذاشت (un vâse dustash sang-e tamâm gozâsht) “He pulled out all the stops for his friend”
- وقتی مهمون داری باید سنگ تمام بذاری (vaghti mehmun dâri bâyad sang-e tamâm bezâri) “When you have guests you should go all out”
- سنگ تمام گذاشتن یعنی هیچی از دستت دریغ نکنی (sang-e tamâm gozâshtan yâni hichi az dastat darig nakoni) “Giving the full stone means holding nothing back”
Cultural note
The phrase is rooted in the imagery of a merchant placing the heaviest, most complete stone weight on the scale to demonstrate full measure, holding nothing back and cheating no one. Culturally it is tied to taarof hospitality: a host who sang-e tamâm gozâsht served the best food, gave the best room, and refused nothing. Today it extends beyond hospitality to any context where maximum effort is shown, a job application, a sports performance, a business pitch. It carries warmth and a note of respect for the recipient.