What it means
زیرآبریزی (zir-âb rizi) describes the act of working against someone from behind the scenes while maintaining a friendly face. The word is built from three fully Persian elements: زیر (zir, under) + آب (âb, water) + ریزی (rizi, pouring or flowing). The image evokes secretly diverting water underground, making it a strikingly visual metaphor for betrayal. A close synonym in everyday speech is پشتخنجر زدن (posht-e khanjar zadan, stabbing in the back), though زیرآبریزی is specifically about sustained, covert undermining rather than a single act. The origin is entirely Persian, and the word carries a strong colloquial, even accusatory, tone.
How to use it
- اون همیشه پشت سرم زیرآبریزی میکنه. (oon hamisheh posht-e saram zir-âb rizi mikone.) “He is always backstabbing me behind my back.”
- توی این شرکت زیرآبریزی خیلی رایجه. (tooye in sherkat zir-âb rizi kheyli râyeje.) “Backstabbing is very common in this company.”
- از زیرآبریزیهای اون خسته شدم. (az zir-âb rizihâye oon khaste shodam.) “I got tired of his constant undermining.”
- نمیدونستم که داری زیرآبریزی میکنی. (nemidunestam ke dâri zir-âb rizi mikoni.) “I didn’t know you were working against me like this.”
Cultural note
The metaphor draws on Iran’s ancient qanat (کاریز) irrigation culture, where diverting a neighbor’s underground water share was a serious and hidden offense. In modern Persian, zir-âb rizi extends naturally into workplace and family politics, describing anyone who smiles to your face while quietly sabotaging your reputation or plans. It is a colloquial register word and would sound too informal for formal writing, but it is widely understood and used across Persian-speaking communities in Iran, Afghanistan, and the diaspora.