سراغ

What it means

سراغ (sarâgh) means the whereabouts, trace, or news of someone or something. It is most commonly used in two verb phrases: سراغ کسی رفتن (sarâgh-e kasi raftan), meaning to go looking for someone or to go to seek someone out, and سراغ کسی را گرفتن (sarâgh-e kasi râ gereftan), meaning to ask after someone or to inquire about someone. The second phrase is especially warm in tone: «سراغمو گرفت» (sarâgham-o gereft) means he/she asked about me or he/she inquired after me, implying care and attention. The word can also mean a lead or a hint of something: «سراغی داری؟» (sarâghi dâri?) means do you have any leads on this? or do you know of one?

How to use it

• سراغت رو گرفت (sarâghet ro gereft) “He/she asked about you / inquired after you.”
• رفتم سراغش ولی خونه نبود (raftam sarâgesh vali khune nabud) “I went looking for him but he wasn’t home.”
• سراغ کارا رو گرفت (sarâgh-e kârâ ro gereft) “He/she checked in on how things are going.”
• یه پزشک خوب سراغ داری؟ (ye pezeshk-e khub sarâgh dâri?) “Do you know of a good doctor?”

Cultural note

سراغ گرفتن is one of the most affectionate verbs in Persian social life. When an Iranian says «سراغتو می‌گرفتم» (sarâghet-o migereftam, I was asking after you) or «سراغم گرفتی؟» (sarâgham gereft? Did you ask about me?), it expresses that someone was on their mind. Asking after someone who is absent, checking in, remembering to inquire: these small acts of سراغ گرفتن are read as genuine signs of care in Iranian culture. Conversely, not سراغ گرفتن from a friend after a long gap can be taken as indifference and is sometimes noted pointedly.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab