What it means
شانه (shâne) is the everyday Persian word for “shoulder,” the joint and surrounding area where your arm meets your upper body. It is a neutral term you can use in any setting, from chatting with friends to describing pain to a doctor. The same spelling شانه also means “comb,” so context tells you which one is meant. A close relative is کتف (kataf), which more specifically points to the shoulder blade and the back part of the shoulder, while شانه covers the shoulder more broadly.
How to use it
- شونهام درد میکنه. (shune-am dard mikone.) “My shoulder hurts.”
- دستتو بذار رو شونهام. (dasteto bezâr ru shune-am.) “Put your hand on my shoulder.”
- شونههاشو انداخت بالا. (shune-hâsho andâkht bâlâ.) “He shrugged his shoulders.”
- کیفو انداختم رو شونهام. (kifo andâkhtam ru shune-am.) “I threw the bag over my shoulder.”
Cultural note
In casual spoken Persian, شانه is almost always pronounced شونه (shune), so you will hear the colloquial form far more often in daily conversation. The gesture of raising the shoulders, شونه بالا انداختن (shune bâlâ andâkhtan), carries the same meaning as the English shrug, signaling “I don’t know” or indifference. The phrase شونه به شونه (shune be shune), literally “shoulder to shoulder,” is also common and describes people standing or working side by side.