What it means
صورتجلسه (surat-jalase) is the official written record of what was said, decided, and agreed upon in a meeting. Both of its parts are Arabic in origin: صورت (surat) means face, form, or record, and جلسه (jalase) means session or meeting. Persian combines them into a fixed compound that functions as the standard administrative term for meeting minutes. A صورتجلسه is not casual meeting notes: it is a formal document, usually typed on headed paper, signed by all parties, and kept in the official پرونده (file). In legal contexts, a signed صورتجلسه has binding force, recording what each party agreed to at a specific time and place.
How to use it
- صورتجلسه رو امضا کردید؟ (surat-jalase ro emzâ kardid?) “Did you sign the meeting minutes?”
- باید صورتجلسه تنظیم بشه. (bâyad surat-jalase tanzim beshe.) “The minutes need to be drafted.”
- صورتجلسه قبلی رو خوندید؟ (surat-jalase-ye ghabli ro khundin?) “Did you read the previous minutes?”
- این تصمیم تو صورتجلسه ثبت شد. (in tasmim tu surat-jalase sabt shod.) “This decision was recorded in the minutes.”
Cultural note
In Iranian public institutions, the صورتجلسه is taken very seriously as a legal instrument. Disputes about what was agreed in a meeting are often settled by producing the signed صورتجلسه. In property transactions, divorce proceedings, and corporate governance, a صورتجلسه drafted at the دفترخانه (notary’s office) carries the same weight as a contract. The practice of تنظیم صورتجلسه (drafting minutes) is a mandatory administrative skill in any government role, and the format follows a strict template including date, attendees, agenda items, decisions, and signatures.