طاقچه

What it means

طاقچه (tâqche) means “alcove shelf,” “niche,” or “window ledge,” a recess or ledge built into a wall where you set small objects. It is a pure Persian word, a diminutive linked to طاق (arch, vault), so a طاقچه is literally a little arched recess. Unlike a freestanding قفسه, a طاقچه is part of the wall itself.

How to use it

• گلدون رو بذار رو طاقچه (goldun ro bezâr ru tâqche) “put the vase on the ledge/niche”
• طاقچه پنجره (tâqche-ye panjere) “window ledge”
• قاب عکس رو طاقچه‌ست (qâb-e aks ru tâqche-st) “the photo frame is on the niche shelf”
• طاقچه بالا گذاشتن (tâqche bâlâ gozâshtan) “to put off, to keep someone waiting (idiom)”

Cultural note

The طاقچه is a feature of traditional Persian architecture, the wall niche where a lamp, a Quran, a mirror, or decorative objects were once placed. In everyday speech طاقچه بالا گذاشتن means to act hard-to-get or to put someone off, an idiom drawn from setting something out of easy reach on a high niche.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab