What it means
شکمدرد (shekam-dard) is the everyday Persian word for a stomach ache or abdominal pain. Both components are native Persian: shekam (belly, abdomen, stomach) and dard (pain, ache). The compound works as a single noun in speech and writing, and is the natural first word a Persian speaker uses to describe any discomfort in the abdominal area, whether mild indigestion or something more serious. The clinical equivalent used by doctors is درد شکمی (dard-e shekami) or the Latin-derived درد ابدومینال (dard-e âbdominâl). A close synonym in informal speech is دلدرد (del-dard), literally heart-pain or gut-pain, which refers to cramping or colicky pain specifically, often digestive in cause.
How to use it
- شکمدرد دارم. (shekam-dard dâram.) “I have a stomach ache.”
- از دیشب شکمدردم قطع نمیشه. (az dishab shekam-dardam qate’ nemishe.) “My stomach ache has not stopped since last night.”
- شکمدردش اونقدر بد بود که رفت اورژانس. (shekam-dardesh onqadr bad bud ke raft owrzhâns.) “Her stomach ache was so bad she went to the emergency room.”
- برای شکمدرد چی بخورم؟ (barâye shekam-dard chi bekhuram?) “What should I eat for a stomach ache?”
Cultural note
شکمدرد is one of the most frequently cited ailments in everyday Iranian conversation, often explained by food-related causes such as eating cold foods or mixing incompatible foods, beliefs rooted in traditional Persian medicine’s hot-cold (garm o sard) system. Dugh (a cold yogurt drink) and mint tea are common home remedies. The word del-dard (دلدرد) is a partial synonym but carries a softer, more colloquial tone and is used slightly more in central and southern dialects.