What it means
سطل (satl) means bucket or pail: a round, open-topped container with a handle, used for carrying water, mopping floors, washing, or storing liquids. Persian borrowed the word from Arabic, which in turn took it from Byzantine Greek (sítla), itself derived from Latin situla. The Arabic layer is the direct donor into Persian, and the ط (emphatic t) in the spelling is a reliable marker of Arabic transmission. A common near-synonym is دلو (dalv), which is more literary and refers specifically to a well-bucket, while سطل is the everyday spoken word for any household bucket.
How to use it
- سطل آب بیار. (satl-e âb biâr.) “Bring a bucket of water.”
- سطل رو پر از آب کن. (satl ro por az âb kon.) “Fill the bucket with water.”
- تی رو تو سطل بچرخون. (ti ro tu satl becharkhan.) “Wring the mop out in the bucket.”
- سطل زباله پر شده. (satl-e zobâle por shode.) “The rubbish bin is full.”
Cultural note
The word سطل is flexible in modern Persian: alongside سطل آب (water bucket), Iranians routinely say سطل زباله (rubbish bin or waste bin), making it the default word for any bucket-shaped container. Plastic سطل sets, often sold with a wringer for the تی, are a standard sight in Iranian hardware bazaars. The long journey of this word, from Latin situla through Greek and Arabic into Persian, reflects centuries of trade and cultural contact across the ancient world.