What it means
ورزش مدرسه (varzesh-e madrase) means “physical education” or “PE class” in a school context, used in everyday colloquial speech. ورزش (varzesh) is a pure Persian word meaning “exercise” or “sport,” while مدرسه (madrase) comes from Arabic مَدرَسَة. In practice, Iranian students often shorten this to just کلاس ورزش (kelâs-e varzesh) or simply ورزش. The phrase contrasts with باشگاه (bâshgâh), which refers to a gym or sports club outside school.
How to use it
- فردا ورزش مدرسه داریم، کفش ورزشی بیار. (fardâ varzesh-e madrase dârim, kafsh-e varzeshi biâr.) “We have PE tomorrow, bring your trainers.”
- ورزش مدرسه رو نداریم چون زمین خیسه. (varzesh-e madrase ro nadârim chon zamin khise.) “We don’t have PE because the ground is wet.”
- معلم ورزشمون گفت باید بدویم. (mo’allem-e varzeshmun goft bâyad bedavim.) “Our PE teacher said we have to run.”
- تو ورزش مدرسه فوتبال بازی میکنیم. (tu varzesh-e madrase futbâl bâzi mikonim.) “In PE we play football.”
Cultural note
Physical education has been a compulsory subject in Iranian public schools since the early Pahlavi era. In practice, the facilities and emphasis on the subject vary considerably between urban and rural schools, and between boys and girls schools, as mixed-gender sport has not been part of the state curriculum since 1979. Football for boys and volleyball for girls are among the most common activities in school PE. Many students who dislike outdoor exercise in Iran’s harsh summers or cold winters look forward to ورزش مدرسه precisely because it offers a break from seated classroom work.