What it means
ذهن (zehn) is the everyday Persian word for mind and intellect, borrowed from Arabic ذِهْن (dhihn). It refers to the thinking faculty, mental state, and general intellectual capacity of a person. In spoken Persian it covers everything the English words “mind” and “brain” cover in a psychological sense: attention, memory, thought, and comprehension. A close synonym is عقل (aql), which leans more toward reason and judgment, while ذهن is broader and more neutral. The phrase ذهن داشتن (zehn dâshtan) means to pay attention or to keep something in mind.
How to use it
- ذهنم جای دیگهست. (zehnam jâye digast.) “My mind is somewhere else.”
- این موضوع از ذهنم رفت. (in mowzu az zehnam raft.) “This topic slipped my mind.”
- ذهن خلاقی داری. (zehn-e khalâqi dâri.) “You have a creative mind.”
- باید ذهنت رو باز نگه داری. (bâyad zehnat ro bâz negah dâri.) “You need to keep your mind open.”
Cultural note
ذهن entered Persian through centuries of Arabic literary and philosophical influence, and it is firmly embedded in modern everyday speech. In Persian philosophical and psychological writing, ذهن is contrasted with عین (ayn), the external world, reflecting classical Islamic epistemology. In conversation, Iranians use it naturally for everyday lapses of attention as well as for deeper discussions of intellectual life.