What it means
ترمز (tormoz) means brake, specifically the mechanical device used to slow or stop a vehicle. The word came into Persian through Russian тормоз (tormoz), which Russian itself borrowed from an earlier source whose exact origin remains debated among etymologists, with proposals ranging from Ancient Greek τόρμος (tórmos, a type of socket or peg) to Turkic turmaz (a wheel-pad). It is used as both a noun (the brake) and informally as part of verb phrases such as ترمز کردن (tormoz kardan, to brake). A close technical synonym is the phrase ترمزدستی (tormoz-dasti) for the handbrake. There is no native Persian replacement in common use.
How to use it
- ترمز کن! (Tormoz kon!) “Brake! / Hit the brakes!”
- ترمزم خراب شده. (Tormoz-am kharab shode.) “My brake has broken.”
- ترمز دستی رو بکش. (Tormoz-e dasti ro bekesh.) “Pull the handbrake.”
- ترمزاش ضعیفه، مواظب باش. (Tormozâsh za’ife, movâzeb bâsh.) “Its brakes are weak, be careful.”
Cultural note
The word ترمز entered Persian along with other Russian technical vocabulary during the 19th and early 20th centuries, a period when Iran had extensive contact with the Russian Empire through trade and modernization projects. Persian absorbed a cluster of transport and mechanical terms from Russian during this era, and ترمز became so thoroughly naturalized that most speakers are unaware of its foreign origin. In colloquial speech, ترمز is also used figuratively: telling someone «ترمز کن» (tormoz kon) can mean “slow down” or “hold on” in non-driving contexts.