What it means
تسلیت (tasliyat) means condolences or sympathy expressed after a bereavement. The word comes from the Arabic root س-ل-و (s-l-w), which carries the sense of consolation and soothing grief. In everyday Persian it is the standard word used whenever someone wants to express sorrow over a death. A common near-synonym is همدردی (hamdardi), which translates more broadly as empathy or sympathy and can be used in non-death contexts as well.
How to use it
- تسلیت عرض میکنم. (Tasliyat arz mikonam.) “I offer my condolences.”
- تسلیت من رو قبول کن. (Tasliyat-e mano qabul kon.) “Please accept my condolences.”
- تسلیت میگم برای از دست دادن پدرت. (Tasliyat migam baraye az dast dadan-e pedarat.) “I’m sorry for the loss of your father.”
- کارت تسلیت فرستادم. (Kart-e tasliyat ferestâdam.) “I sent a condolence card.”
Cultural note
In Iranian mourning culture, expressing تسلیت is expected not only on the day of death but also at the memorial gatherings held on the third day, seventh day, and fortieth day (چهلم, chellom) after a death. Failing to offer condolences, even briefly, to a grieving family can be seen as a social slight. Formal condolence announcements in newspapers and online often begin with the phrase تسلیت عرض میکنیم (tasliyat arz mikonim), using the first-person plural as a mark of collective respect.