What it means
سوپرمارکت (supermârket) is the standard Persian word for a supermarket or larger grocery store. It is borrowed directly from English and is used without modification in everyday speech. A more traditional or smaller grocery shop is called a بقالی (baqqâli), while a هایپرمارکت (hâipermârket, hypermarket) refers to a large-format warehouse-style store. The English borrowing is so established that most Iranians use it naturally without thinking of it as a foreign word.
How to use it
- میرم سوپرمارکت، چیزی لازم داری؟ (miram supermârket, chizi lâzem dâri?) “I’m going to the supermarket, do you need anything?”
- نون رو از سوپرمارکت سر کوچه خریدم. (nun ro az supermârket sare kuche kharidam.) “I bought the bread from the supermarket at the end of the alley.”
- سوپرمارکت چند وقته بستهست. (supermârket chand vaghte baste-st.) “The supermarket has been closed for a while.”
- قیمت اینجا از سوپرمارکت ارزونتره. (gheymat injâ az supermârket arzun-tare.) “The price here is cheaper than the supermarket.”
Cultural note
Large supermarket chains expanded significantly in Iranian cities from the 1990s onward, though the traditional neighbourhood baqqâli (corner grocery run by a single shopkeeper) remains common and deeply embedded in daily life. Many Iranians maintain a loyalty to their local baqqâli for small daily purchases while using the supermarket for bulk shopping. In smaller towns and older city neighbourhoods, the baqqâli still outnumbers the supermarket.