What it means
وعده غذایی (va’de-ye ghazâyi) means “a meal” in the sense of an eating occasion or serving: breakfast, lunch, and dinner are each a وعده. The word وعده (va’de) comes from Arabic and carries the sense of an appointed time or occasion. غذایی (ghazâyi) is the adjectival form of غذا (ghazâ, “food”), itself from Arabic غذاء (ghidhâ’). Both components are Arabic in origin, though the suffix -yi is a standard Persian adjectival ending. The result is a formal, neutral compound that appears in nutritional labels, medical advice, and restaurant menus. In relaxed speech Iranians more often say یه بار غذا (ye bâr ghazâ, “one time of eating”) or simply refer to the specific meal: ناهار (nâhâr, lunch) or شام (shâm, dinner).
How to use it
- روزی سه وعده غذایی بخور. (ruzi se va’de-ye ghazâyi bekhor.) “Eat three meals a day.”
- این وعده غذایی خیلی سنگینه. (in va’de-ye ghazâyi kheyli sengine.) “This meal is very heavy.”
- وعده غذایی اصلیمون شامه. (va’de-ye ghazâyi-ye asli-mun shâme.) “Our main meal is dinner.”
- پزشک گفت وعدههای غذایی رو منظم کن. (pezeshk goft va’dehâye ghazâyi ro monazzam kon.) “The doctor said to make your mealtimes regular.”
Cultural note
In Iran the main وعده غذایی has traditionally been ناهار (nâhâr, lunch), eaten at midday and often the most elaborate meal of the day. Dinner became the dominant family meal in urban households as commute times lengthened and working hours shifted. The term وعده غذایی appears frequently in health journalism and on packaged food labels, where phrases like ارزش غذایی هر وعده (nutritional value per serving) follow the same construction. In spoken conversation the shorter word وعده alone is often enough when context is clear.