What it means
ضعف (za’f) means weakness or faintness, the feeling of having no strength in the body. The word is borrowed from Arabic, where it comes from the root meaning to be weak. In everyday Persian it most often describes a sudden drained, light-headed feeling, the kind you get from hunger, low blood pressure, or being sick. A close everyday phrase is ضعف رفتن (za’f raftan), to feel faint or to almost pass out, while its rough opposite is قدرت (qodrat), strength.
How to use it
- از گرسنگی ضعف کردم. (az gorosnegi za’f kardam.) “I felt faint from hunger.”
- یه چیزی بخور، رنگت پریده، ضعف نکنی. (ye chizi bokhor, ranget paride, za’f nakoni.) “Eat something, you look pale, don’t pass out.”
- دکتر گفت ضعف عمومی دارم و باید ویتامین بخورم. (doktor goft za’f-e omumi daram va bayad vitamin bokhoram.) “The doctor said I have general weakness and should take vitamins.”
- وقتی خون دیدم، یهو ضعف رفتم. (vaghti khun didam, yeho za’f raftam.) “When I saw blood, I suddenly felt faint.”
Cultural note
In Iranian homes, when someone says ضعف کردم (za’f kardam), the usual response is to offer something sweet right away, often قند (qand, rock sugar) or a glass of tea, because low blood sugar is the assumed cause. The expression ضعف رفتن دل (za’f raftan-e del) literally means the heart growing faint, and it is also used figuratively for craving something intensely, especially food. So depending on context, ضعف can be a real physical symptom or a playful way to say you are dying for a bite.