What it means
تی (ti) is the colloquial word for mop or floor squeegee, the implement used to wash, scrub, or dry tiled or stone floors. In practice it refers to the flat cloth mop with a long handle that is wrung out over a bucket. The word is firmly colloquial: formal or written Persian tends to use a descriptive phrase, but in everyday spoken Farsi تی is the standard term everyone uses. Its precise etymological origin is not documented in classical Persian dictionaries, so the origin is listed here as unknown. A closely related term is تیکشیدن (ti keshidan), the verb phrase meaning to mop the floor.
How to use it
- تی رو خیس کن بعد بکش. (ti ro khis kon ba’d bekesh.) “Wet the mop first, then go over it.”
- زمین رو با تی تمیز کرد. (zamin ro bâ ti tamiz kard.) “She cleaned the floor with the mop.”
- تی کجا گذاشتی؟ (ti kojâ gozâshti?) “Where did you put the mop?”
- باید تی بکشم تو آشپزخونه. (bâyad ti bekesham tu âshpazkhune.) “I need to mop the kitchen.”
Cultural note
Mopping floors is a daily or near-daily task in most Iranian homes, particularly because shoes are removed at the door and floors are kept very clean. The phrase تی کشیدن has become a fixed colloquial expression meaning to mop, and speakers treat it as a single unit. A standard setup pairs the تی with a سطل (satl, bucket) and a wringer attachment, sold together in hardware and household goods stores across Iran.