What it means
شیشه (shisheh) is the standard Persian word for glass, both the material and a glass container such as a bottle. The word comes from Middle Persian šīšag, which is traced to a Semitic root, with cognates in Classical Syriac ܫܝܫܐ (šēšā, marble) and Biblical Hebrew שַׁיִשׁ (šayiš, alabaster). It is not an Arabic loanword in the usual sense but entered Persian through Semitic, most likely Aramaic, contact in the pre-Islamic period. A related usage is شیشهی عطر (shisheh-ye atr) for a perfume bottle, and شیشهای (shishehâi) as the adjective meaning glass or glassy.
How to use it
- شیشه شکست. (shisheh shekast.) “The glass broke.”
- یه شیشه آب بیار. (ye shisheh âb biâr.) “Bring a bottle of water.”
- پنجره شیشه داره. (panjare shisheh dâreh.) “The window has glass.”
- شیشهی ماشین کثیفه. (shisheh-ye mâshin kasifeh.) “The car window is dirty.”
Cultural note
Glassblowing was practiced in Iran from at least the Achaemenid period, and Iranian glass vessels have been found at archaeological sites across the ancient Near East. The city of Isfahan was historically a center of Persian glass and enamel work, with mina-kâri (enamel on copper) being a close cousin craft. In modern Tehran slang, شیشه (shisheh) is also street slang for crystal methamphetamine, a usage that has become widespread enough that speakers sometimes add context to avoid ambiguity.