What it means
ضرر (zarar) means loss, harm, or financial damage. The word comes from Arabic, from the root ض-ر-ر, and entered Persian centuries ago as a fully naturalized borrowing. You will hear it in conversations about business failures, bad deals, or any situation where someone ends up worse off than before. Its direct opposite in Persian is سود (sud), meaning profit or benefit.
How to use it
- توی این معامله ضرر کردم. (Tou-ye in mo’amele zarar kardam.) “I made a loss in this deal.”
- ضرر مالی بزرگی دیدیم. (Zarar-e mali-ye bozorgi didim.) “We suffered a major financial loss.”
- این کار به نفعت نیست، ضرر داره. (In kar be naf’at nist, zarar dare.) “This isn’t in your interest, it’s a loss.”
- فروشنده گفت اگه کمتر بدی، ضرر میکنه. (Forushande goft age kamtar bedi, zarar mi-kone.) “The seller said if you pay less, he’ll take a loss.”
Cultural note
In Iranian bazaar culture, claiming zarar (loss) is a standard move in price negotiations. A seller who says “من ضرر میکنم” (man zarar mi-konam, “I’m taking a loss on this”) may or may not be telling the truth, and experienced buyers know to take this with skepticism. The word also appears frequently in news and financial contexts to describe economic downturns, company losses, or the impact of sanctions on trade.