تب

What it means

تب (tab) means “fever,” the raised body temperature you get when you are sick. It is a native Persian word, going back to Middle Persian tab and ultimately the same ancient Indo-European root as the English word “tepid.” It is the plain, everyday term, so a parent, a friend, or a doctor will all use it the same way. A common related expression is تب و لرز (tab-o larz), “fever and chills,” used when shivering comes with the fever.

How to use it

• تب دارم. (tab dāram.) “I have a fever.”
• تبش بالاست. (tabesh bālāst.) “His fever is high.”
• تبت رو اندازه گرفتی؟ (tabet ro andāze gerefti?) “Did you take your temperature?”
• تبش قطع شد. (tabesh ghat shod.) “His fever broke.”

Cultural note

In Iranian homes, when someone has a تب, the first move is usually to feel the forehead by hand before reaching for a thermometer. Many families keep استامینوفن (acetaminophen) on hand and may also use a cool, damp cloth on the forehead to bring the temperature down. The word also lives on in everyday speech as a metaphor for burning passion or restlessness, as in the common pairing تب و تاب (tab-o tāb), “fervor and excitement.”

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab