طلبه

What it means

طلبه (talabe) means a student of Islamic religious sciences, specifically someone enrolled in a حوزه علمیه (howze-ye ‘elmi-ye, Islamic seminary). The word is borrowed from Arabic طَالِب (tâlib), meaning one who seeks or pursues, from the root T-L-B. The Arabic form refers broadly to any student or seeker, but Persian narrowed it to refer almost exclusively to seminary students. Someone who studies at the famous seminary in Qom or Mashhad is a طلبه. The dress associated with طلبه includes a robe (عبا, ‘abâ) and often a turban, with black turbans indicating descent from the Prophet. The plural is طلاب (tollâb).

How to use it

• اون طلبه‌ی حوزه علمیه قمه. (un talabe-ye howze-ye ‘elmi-ye ghome.) “He is a seminary student at the Qom seminary.”
• طلاب هر روز صبح درس می‌خونن. (tollâb har ruz sobh dars mikhunan.) “The seminary students study every morning.”
• برادرم طلبه شد. (barâdaram talabe shod.) “My brother became a seminary student.”
• یه طلبه جوون دم در ایستاده بود. (ye talabe-ye javun dam-e dar istâde bud.) “A young seminary student was standing at the door.”

Cultural note

The حوزه علمیه system, centered in Qom and Mashhad, forms one of the most important educational institutions in Iran. طلبه students follow a curriculum that can span ten or more years, progressing through levels called مقدمات (moghaddamât), سطح (sath), and خارج (khârej). After the 1979 revolution, طلبه and the broader clerical class gained direct political authority in Iran, making this word one that carries significant social and political weight. In everyday speech, طلبه is used descriptively without particular judgment, though attitudes toward the clerical class vary widely among Iranians.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab