What it means
سنگ مرمر (sang-e marmar) is the Persian term for marble, the metamorphic rock prized for its smooth surface and veined appearance and widely used in flooring, cladding, countertops, and decorative architecture. The compound joins two elements of different origin: سنگ (sang) is pure Persian for stone, while مرمر (marmar) is borrowed ultimately from Greek μάρμαρος (marmaros), meaning shining stone or sparkling rock, which entered Persian through contact with Greek and later Arabic. In everyday speech Iranians often just say مرمر on its own, omitting سنگ. A related word is سنگفرش (sang-farsh), meaning stone paving, but سنگ مرمر always refers specifically to marble rather than generic stone.
How to use it
- کف این خونه سنگ مرمره. (kaf-e in khune sang-e marmare.) “The floor of this house is marble.”
- سنگ مرمر ایرانی خیلی باکیفیته. (sang-e marmar-e irani khili ba-keyfiyate.) “Iranian marble is very high quality.”
- از مرمر سفید برای آشپزخونه استفاده کردن. (az marmar-e sefid bara-ye ashpazkhune estefade kardan.) “They used white marble for the kitchen.”
- صیقل دادن سنگ مرمر کار تخصصیه. (seighal dadan-e sang-e marmar kar-e takhasosiye.) “Polishing marble is a specialist job.”
Cultural note
Iran is one of the world’s significant marble producers, with quarries in provinces including Isfahan, Yazd, and Azarbaijan. Marble has been central to Iranian monumental architecture for centuries: the Golestan Palace in Tehran and the great mosques of Isfahan feature extensive marble work. Today سنگ مرمر remains a prestige flooring material in Iranian homes, and a marble entrance hall (ورودی با سنگ مرمر) signals quality construction in the real-estate market. The city of Mahallat in Markazi Province is known as Iran’s marble capital.