What it means
سیاست (siyâsat) means “politics” or “policy.” It comes from Arabic, from the root س-و-س (s-w-s), which originally meant to tend or train horses and by extension came to mean managing affairs or governing people. The word entered Persian centuries ago and is now the standard term for both the arena of politics and a specific policy decision. Context tells you which: سیاست خارجی (siyâsat-e khâreji) is “foreign policy,” while وارد سیاست شدن (vâred-e siyâsat shodan) means “getting into politics.”
How to use it
- به سیاست علاقه دارم. (be siyâsat alâqe dâram.) “I am interested in politics.”
- سیاست خارجی کشور تغییر کرد. (siyâsat-e khâreji-ye keshvar taghyir kard.) “The country’s foreign policy changed.”
- آدم سیاسی نیستم. (âdam-e siyâsi nistam.) “I am not a political person.”
- این یک تصمیم سیاسی بود. (in yek tasmim-e siyâsi bud.) “This was a political decision.”
Cultural note
In everyday Iranian conversation, the phrase “وارد سیاست نمیشم” (vâred-e siyâsat nemisham, “I don’t get into politics”) is a common way to avoid sensitive topics. This reflects a social norm of caution around political expression that has deep historical roots. The derived adjective سیاسی (siyâsi) applies broadly: a person, a prisoner, or a move can all be called siyâsi.