What it means
ترک سیگار (tark-e sigâr) refers to the act or process of quitting smoking, also called smoking cessation in English medical terminology. The first part, ترک (tark), comes from the Arabic root ترک meaning abandonment or leaving something behind. The second part, سیگار (sigâr), is a European loanword from French cigare. Together they form a very common collocation in Persian health discourse. In formal medical writing you may also see ترک دخانیات (tark-e dokhâniât), meaning cessation of tobacco products, but ترک سیگار is what most people say in daily life.
How to use it
- دکترم گفت ترک سیگار سختترین کاریه که کردم. (doktaram goft tark-e sigâr sakhttarin kâri-ye ke kardam) “My doctor said quitting smoking is the hardest thing I have ever done.”
- داره سعی میکنه ترک سیگار کنه. (dâre sa’y mi-kone tark-e sigâr kone) “He is trying to quit smoking.”
- برنامههای ترک سیگار توی داروخونهها هست. (barnâme-hâye tark-e sigâr tuye dârukhune-hâ hast) “Smoking cessation programs are available at pharmacies.”
- ترک سیگار بعد از ده سال خیلی سخته. (tark-e sigâr ba’d az dah sâl kheili sakhte) “Quitting smoking after ten years is very difficult.”
Cultural note
Iran runs national quit-smoking campaigns each year around World No Tobacco Day on May 31st. Pharmacies stock nicotine replacement patches and gum, and some hospitals run supervised cessation clinics. Quitting smoking is often framed as both a health goal and a financial one, since cigarette prices have risen with successive taxation rounds. Family pressure, especially from a spouse or parents, is commonly cited as a key motivator for attempting ترک سیگار among Iranian men.