What it means
شیر آب (shir-e ab) is the everyday Persian word for a water tap or faucet. شیر (shir) in this context means a valve or spigot, a native Persian word. The valve sense is a secondary development from the word’s primary meaning of lion, since early taps in Iran were shaped like lion heads. آب (ab) simply means water. Together they name the fitting you turn to start or stop the flow of water. The same base word appears in شیر گاز (shir-e gaz) for a gas valve, showing that شیر covers any kind of flow-control device. In everyday colloquial speech شیر آب is the universal term, and you will often hear it shortened to simply شیر when context is clear.
How to use it
- شیر آب رو ببند، داری آب هدر میدی. (shir-e ab ro bebband, dari ab hadar midi.) “Turn off the tap, you are wasting water.”
- شیر آب آشپزخونه چکه میکنه. (shir-e ab-e ashpazkhune chakke mikone.) “The kitchen tap is dripping.”
- یه لولهکش اومد شیر آب رو تعمیر کرد. (ye lule-kesh umad shir-e ab ro ta’mir kard.) “A plumber came and fixed the tap.”
- فشار آب پایینه، شاید شیر اصلی نیمه بستهست. (feshar-e ab payine, shayad shir-e asli nime-baste-st.) “The water pressure is low, maybe the main valve is half closed.”
Cultural note
Water scarcity is a serious concern across much of Iran, and public awareness campaigns frequently remind residents to repair leaking taps and avoid leaving the water running. In traditional Persian architecture, water was delivered through qanat channels rather than pressurized pipes, so the modern شیر آب is a relatively recent fixture in Iranian homes. In informal Tehran speech you will sometimes hear شیر آب shortened simply to شیر when context makes the meaning obvious.