What it means
سنگ صفرا (sang-e safrâ) literally means bile stone or gallstone, referring to the hardened deposits that form in the gallbladder or bile ducts. The compound draws on two different etymological pools: سنگ (sang, stone) is pure Persian, one of the most common and ancient words in the language. صفرا (safrâ) comes from Arabic صفراء (safrâ, meaning yellow or bile), itself connected to the classical humoral theory in which yellow bile was one of the four bodily humors. In informal speech patients simply say سنگ صفرا, and the phrase is well understood across all registers despite its formal medical context.
How to use it
- سونوگرافی نشون داد که سنگ صفرا دارم. (Sonografi neshun dâd ke sang-e safrâ dâram.) “The ultrasound showed that I have gallstones.”
- سنگ صفرا میتونه درد خیلی شدیدی بده. (Sang-e safrâ mitune dard-e kheyli shadidi bede.) “Gallstones can cause very severe pain.”
- دکتر گفت باید کیسه صفرا رو عمل کنیم. (Doktor goft bâyad kise-safrâ ro amal konim.) “The doctor said we need to operate on the gallbladder.”
- برای سنگ صفرا لاپاروسکوپی میکنن. (Barâye sang-e safrâ lâpâroscopi mikonan.) “For gallstones they do laparoscopy.”
Cultural note
Gallstones are among the more common surgical conditions treated in Iranian hospitals, partly linked to dietary patterns high in refined carbohydrates and fats. The traditional Iranian diet, rich in rice, bread, and fatty meats, has been associated with higher bile-stone rates in some epidemiological studies. Surgical removal of the gallbladder (کیسهبرداری, kise-bardâri, or colloquially عمل صفرا, amal-e safrâ) is a routine procedure in Iranian healthcare, and most patients recognize the term سنگ صفرا without needing clarification.