What it means
زانو (zânu) means “knee,” the joint that connects your thigh to your lower leg. It is a native Persian word of old Iranian stock, from Proto-Iranian “jānu,” related to Avestan “zānu” and sharing the same ancient root as Latin “genu” and Greek “gonu.” You hear it everywhere, from a child scraping a knee to a doctor examining a swollen joint. There is no common synonym; زانو is simply the word for this body part.
How to use it
- زانوم درد میکنه. (zânu-am dard mikone.) “My knee hurts.”
- با زانو زمین خوردم. (bâ zânu zamin khordam.) “I fell on my knee.”
- زانوتو خم کن. (zânu-to kham kon.) “Bend your knee.”
- زانوش ورم کرده. (zânu-sh varam karde.) “His knee is swollen.”
Cultural note
In Iran, the polite way to sit on the floor for meals or prayer is دو زانو نشستن (do zânu neshastan), kneeling with both knees folded under you. The expression دست به زانو گرفتن (dast be zânu gereftan), putting a hand on the knee, describes the effort of an older or tired person rising to their feet. Knee pain is a common complaint among people who pray daily or sit on the floor for long gatherings, so the word comes up often in everyday talk about aches.