شیر

What it means

شیر (shir) is a Persian polysemous noun with two distinct meanings: “milk” and “lion.” Same spelling, same pronunciation, completely different concepts. Context tells the listener which is meant.

How to use it (milk)

• یک لیوان شیر می‌خواهم (yek livân shir mikhâham) “I want a glass of milk”
• شیر گاو شیرین است (shir-e gâv shirin ast) “Cow’s milk is sweet”

How to use it (lion)

• شیر سلطان جنگل است (shir soltân-e jangal ast) “The lion is the king of the jungle”
• قلب شیر دارد (qalb-e shir dârad) “He has the heart of a lion” (brave)

Common pairings

• شیر گاو (shir-e gâv) “cow’s milk”
• شیر مادر (shir-e mâdar) “mother’s milk”
• شیر و خورشید (shir-o khorshid) “Lion and Sun,” historic Iranian national emblem
• شیر دل (shir-del) “lion-hearted, brave”

Cultural note

The lion has been a symbol of Iran for millennia, appearing in Persepolis reliefs, on Persian flags from the Safavid era through 1979, and on the coat of arms the pre-Revolutionary Iranian diaspora still uses. The Iranian phrase شیر و خورشید (Lion and Sun) names this emblem.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab