What it means
توالت (tovâlet) means “toilet,” referring both to the fixture and to the room itself. It is a loanword from French (toilette) that settled into everyday Persian. In casual speech many people prefer دستشویی (dastshui), which literally means “hand-washing place” and serves as a polite catch-all for the bathroom. توالت feels a touch more direct, and it is the word you will see on signs in public places. Note that the bathing room with the shower is usually called حمام (hammâm), which Iranians often keep separate from the toilet.
How to use it
- توالت کجاست؟ (tovâlet kojâst?) “where is the toilet?”
- باید برم توالت (bâyad beram tovâlet) “I need to go to the toilet”
- توالت اینجا تمیزه (tovâlet injâ tamize) “the toilet here is clean”
- کاغذ توالت تموم شده (kâghaz-e tovâlet tamum shode) “the toilet paper has run out”
Cultural note
In many Iranian homes you will find two kinds of toilet: the squat toilet (توالت ایرانی) set into the floor, and the seated Western style (توالت فرنگی). A small handheld hose called the شیلنگ (shilang) usually sits next to the toilet for washing with water, which is the norm rather than relying on paper alone. The toilet room is often a separate small space apart from the shower and sink area.