زمان

What it means

زمان (zamân) means “time.” Native Persian word from Middle Persian zamân. The foundational abstract noun in Persian for time as a dimension, span, or era.

How to use it

• زمان زیادی نداریم (zamân-e ziâdi nadârim) “We do not have much time”
• زمان می‌گذرد (zamân migzarad) “Time passes”
• در زمان قاجار (dar zamân-e qâjâr) “in the Qajar era”

Common pairings

• زمان حال (zamân-e hâl) “the present”
• زمان گذشته (zamân-e gozashte) “the past”
• زمان آینده (zamân-e âyande) “the future”
• زمان بندی (zamân-bandi) “scheduling”
• هم‌زمان (ham-zamân) “simultaneous”

Compared to ساعت and وقت

• زمان (zamân): time as abstract dimension
• ساعت (sâ’at): hour, clock, watch (Arabic loan)
• وقت (vaqt): a specific time, occasion (Arabic loan)

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab