What it means
تا کردن (tâ kardan) means to fold something by bending it over on itself. The noun تا (tâ) means a fold or a layer in pure Persian, and pairing it with the light verb کردن turns it into an action. You fold laundry (لباس تا کردن), fold a letter before putting it in an envelope, or fold a blanket at the end of the night. A close related word is مرتب کردن (moratab kardan), which means to tidy up more generally, though تا کردن is specific to the folding action itself.
How to use it
- لباسهارو تا کردم گذاشتم تو کمد. (lebâs-hâro tâ kardam gozâshtam tu komad.) “I folded the clothes and put them in the wardrobe.”
- این نامه رو تا کن بذار توی پاکت. (in nâme ro tâ kon bezâr tuye pâkat.) “Fold this letter and put it in the envelope.”
- پتو رو تا کردی؟ (patu ro tâ kardi?) “Did you fold the blanket?”
- کاغذ رو از وسط تا کن. (kâghaz ro az vasat tâ kon.) “Fold the paper in half.”
Cultural note
In many Iranian households, folding and putting away laundry neatly is considered a mark of good upbringing, and children are often taught to تا کردن from a young age. The word تا also appears in everyday counting language: یه تا (ye tâ) means one piece or one item of something, showing how layered the word’s uses are in daily Persian. When someone folds a document in an office context, they might also use the more formal تا زدن (tâ zadan) with identical meaning.