دختر زیبا
dokhtar-e zibā/dux.ˈtar zeː.ˈbaː/word by word
The English phrase "beautiful girl" is translated into Persian as دختر زیبا (dokhtar-e zibā).
The phrase is used to describe a female child or young woman who is physically attractive. You may also encounter the word Shirin, which means "sweet" and is used to describe both a girl's beauty and her personality.
Which one should you use?
While دختر زیبا is the standard way to say beautiful girl, you might hear the colloquial alternative دختر خوشگل (dokhtar-e khoshgel) to mean the same thing.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is dokhtar-e zibā. The word has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- Persians often use the word for 'moon' ماه to describe a beautiful girl, as the moon is the ultimate symbol of beauty in Persian poetry.
- The word دختر shares a common ancestor with the English word 'daughter', making them distant linguistic relatives.
- In very formal or poetic Persian, a beautiful girl might be called پری (pari), which literally means 'fairy'.
Examples in context
- من یک دختر زیبا را دیدم.man yek dokhtar-e zibā rā didam.I saw a beautiful girl.
Example conversation
Reza and Zahra are looking at a family photo.
- رضا Rezaاین کیست؟In kist?Who is this?
- زهرا Zahraاو دختر زیبا و مهربانی است.Oo dokhtar-e ziba va mehrabani ast.She is a beautiful and kind girl.
- رضا Rezaخیلی شبیه تو است.Kheyli shabih-e to ast.She looks a lot like you.
- زهرا Zahraممنونم رضا.Mamnoonam Reza.Thank you, Reza.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (دختر, زیبا) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries دختر, زیبا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
