What it means
ترازو (tarâzu) means “scale” or “balance,” a device for measuring weight. The word is pure Persian, descending from Middle Persian tarâzuk. It applies equally to a traditional two-pan balance, a market hanging scale, and a modern digital kitchen scale. A related word is وزن (vazn), meaning “weight” in the abstract sense, while tarâzu always refers to the physical instrument.
How to use it
- گوشت رو گذاشت رو ترازو. (gusht ro gozâsht ru tarâzu.) “He put the meat on the scale.”
- ترازوی آشپزخونهام خراب شده. (tarâzu-ye âshpazkhune-am kharâb shode.) “My kitchen scale has broken.”
- با ترازو دقیق وزن کن. (bâ tarâzu daqiq vazn kon.) “Weigh it precisely with the scale.”
- ترازوی بازار قدیمی بود. (tarâzu-ye bâzâr qadimi bud.) “The market’s scale was an old one.”
Cultural note
The tarâzu is a symbol of justice and fairness in Persian culture and Islamic tradition. It appears in poetry, calligraphy, and mosque decoration as a representation of divine judgment and honest dealing. In the traditional bazaar, the tarâzu was the instrument by which a merchant’s integrity was measured as much as the goods themselves. Today, digital kitchen scales are common in Iranian homes for baking and measuring spices, but the word tarâzu covers both ancient and modern forms.