What it means
وایفای (vây-fây) is a direct loanword from English Wi-Fi, referring to a wireless internet connection. The term entered Persian alongside the spread of home and mobile broadband in the 2000s and 2010s. Persian speakers adapted the English pronunciation closely, writing it وایفای with a half-space between the two parts to reflect the hyphen in the original. There is no native Persian word in common use for Wi-Fi. A related term is اینترنت (internet), which is the broader word for internet access, while وایفای specifically implies a wireless local connection rather than mobile data.
How to use it
- وایفای داری؟ (vây-fây dâri?) “Do you have Wi-Fi?”
- پسورد وایفایت چیه؟ (pasvord-e vây-fâyat chiyeh?) “What is your Wi-Fi password?”
- وایفای قطعه. (vây-fây qat’eh.) “The Wi-Fi is down.”
- به وایفای وصل نمیشم. (be vây-fây vasl nemisham.) “I can’t connect to the Wi-Fi.”
Cultural note
In Iran, وایفای availability in cafes, hotels, and public spaces is common, though connection speeds and reliability vary widely by city and neighborhood. Because many popular platforms are filtered, users frequently combine وایفای with a VPN, and asking for the Wi-Fi password at a cafe is often a precursor to enabling a VPN connection. Home وایفای routers are sold and managed through licensed internet service providers, and the word وایفای appears on product packaging, service plans, and everyday signage nationwide.