What it means
سر زدن (sar zadan) means to drop by, to pop in, or to briefly check on someone or something. The image behind it is showing your head at someone’s door, a quick appearance rather than a planned visit. Both components are pure Persian: سر (sar, head) and زدن (zadan, to strike or hit). This is a colloquial verb: you would use it naturally with friends and family but not in a formal letter or official announcement. A related expression is سر کشیدن (sar keshidan, literally to pull your head), which carries the same meaning of checking in on someone, though it is slightly more associated with checking on a place or situation rather than visiting a person.
How to use it
- بعد از کار میام یه سر بزنم بهت. (ba’d az kâr miyam ye sar bezanam behet.) “I will drop by to see you after work.”
- یه سر به مغازه زد و رفت. (ye sar be maghâze zad o raft.) “He popped into the shop and left.”
- گفتم یه سر بزنم ببینم حالت چطوره. (goftam ye sar bezanam bebinam hâlet chetore.) “I thought I would pop in to see how you are doing.”
- هر روز به مادرم سر میزنم. (har ruz be mâdaram sar mizanam.) “I check on my mother every day.”
Cultural note
Dropping in on family and close friends without calling ahead first is far more socially accepted in Iranian culture than in many Western contexts. سر زدن reflects this: the verb implies a brief, warm, unscheduled appearance that is welcomed rather than intrusive. The phrase یه سر بزن (ye sar bezan, come drop by) is a standard expression of hospitality. As younger Iranians in cities have adopted more scheduled social lives, the spontaneous سر زدن is becoming slightly less common in Tehran, though it remains the default in smaller cities and among older generations.