What it means
تابوت (tâbut) is the standard Persian word for a coffin, the box in which a body is placed for burial. It comes directly from Arabic تَابُوت (tābūt), which in the Quran refers to the Ark of the Covenant. The Arabic form itself is traced by lexicographers to Hebrew and Aramaic origins. In everyday Persian speech, تابوت is the normal, neutral term. There is no widely used pure Persian synonym in modern colloquial speech for this specific meaning.
How to use it
- تابوت را روی دوش حمل کردند. (tâbut râ ru-ye dush haml kardand.) “They carried the coffin on their shoulders.”
- گل روی تابوت گذاشتن. (gol ru-ye tâbut gozâshtan.) “They placed flowers on the coffin.”
- تابوت از چوب گردو ساخته شده بود. (tâbut az chub-e gardu sâkhte shode bud.) “The coffin was made of walnut wood.”
- صدای گریه وقتی تابوت رسید بلند شد. (sedâ-ye gerye vaghti tâbut resid boland shod.) “The sound of crying grew louder when the coffin arrived.”
Cultural note
In Iranian Muslim tradition, the body is typically washed and wrapped in a kafan (کفن, burial shroud) before being placed in the تابوت for transport. After prayers at the mosque or graveside, the body is removed from the coffin and placed directly in the earth in keeping with Islamic burial practice, which means the coffin itself is not interred. The تابوت therefore serves as a carrier, not a permanent vessel. In some Iranian ceremonies, particularly for martyrs and prominent figures, the coffin may be draped with a flag or floral wreath during the procession.