What it means
زحمت کشیدید (zahmat keshidid) means “you have taken on trouble” and is used as a formal, respectful thank-you, similar to “thank you for your effort” or “you really went out of your way.” The noun زحمت (zahmat) comes from Arabic (زَحمة, zahma), meaning crowding, burden, or difficulty. The verb کشیدن (keshidan) is native Persian, meaning to pull or to bear. Together the compound means “you bore the burden,” and the -id ending makes it the formal or plural second-person past, appropriate for showing deference to someone older or in a higher position. A related, more informal expression is دستتون درد نکنه.
How to use it
- واقعاً زحمت کشیدید، ممنون از لطفتون. (vâghe’an zahmat keshidid, mamnun az lotfetun.) “You really went to trouble, thank you for your kindness.”
- برای این مراسم زحمت کشیدید. (barâye in marâsem zahmat keshidid.) “You put so much effort into this ceremony.”
- خیلی زحمت کشیدی، مرسی. (kheyli zahmat keshidi, mersi.) “You worked so hard, thank you.”
- نه، شما زحمت کشیدید، من کاری نکردم. (na, shomâ zahmat keshidid, man kâri nakardam.) “No, you went to trouble, I did nothing.”
Cultural note
زحمت کشیدید belongs to the formal register of Iranian taarof and is the kind of phrase you hear at the end of a business meeting, after a dinner party, or when a doctor or official has helped you. It acknowledges that the other person extended themselves beyond what was strictly required, which in Iranian culture is seen as a virtue worth naming aloud. Replying with خواهش میکنم (khâhesh mikonam, “you’re welcome”) or the deflection نه، شما زحمت کشیدید (“no, you went to trouble”) keeps the exchange of courtesy going in both directions.