What it means
یبوست (yobusat) is the standard Persian word for constipation. It comes from Arabic يبوسة (yubusa), meaning dryness, from the root y-b-s. The word entered Persian through the extensive Arabic medical vocabulary that shaped classical Farsi. A related contrast worth knowing is اسهال (es-hal), which means diarrhea, the opposite condition. You will hear یبوست used freely by patients, pharmacists, and doctors alike.
How to use it
- یبوست دارم و باید دارو بخورم. (yobusat daram o bayad daru bokhoram.) “I have constipation and need to take medicine.”
- دکتر برام برای یبوست نسخه داد. (doktor baram baraye yobusat noskhe dad.) “The doctor gave me a prescription for constipation.”
- یبوست معمولا به خاطر کم آب خوردنه. (yobusat mamolan be khatere kam ab khordan-e.) “Constipation is usually because of not drinking enough water.”
- از داروخانه چیزی برای یبوست بخر. (az darukhane chizi baraye yobusat bokhar.) “Buy something from the pharmacy for constipation.”
Cultural note
In Iranian traditional medicine, یبوست was long tied to the concept of طبع گرم (tabi’ garm), meaning a hot temperament, and dietary remedies such as prunes, figs, and herbal teas remain widely recommended by older Iranians before reaching for pharmaceuticals. Pharmacists in Iran regularly advise customers on over-the-counter remedies for یبوست, and it is a topic discussed without embarrassment at the pharmacy counter.