نان
nân/ˈnaːn/
bread in Persian is نان (nân). Wiktionary also lists نَان (nān) and نون (nun).
Meaning: baked dough made from cereals (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| نان | nân | /ˈnaːn/ (Classical Persian) /nuːn/ |
|
| نَان | nān | ||
| نون | nun | /ˈnuːn/ (Classical Persian) | Tehrani, colloquial |
| چُرَک | čorak | rare, regional | |
| چورَک | čurak | rare, regional |
The word refers to baked dough made from cereals.
Which one should you use?
The standard form is نان, but in the Tehrani dialect, the pronunciation shifts to نون.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
نان is the most common and standard term for bread in Persian. In colloquial Tehrani speech, you will hear the form نون.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms چُرَک and چورَک are rare regional terms for bread.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
nân (/ˈnaːn/)
Did you know?
- It is considered highly disrespectful in traditional Persian culture to place نان on the floor or to throw it away.
- The standard word for bread, نان, may originate from a term meaning 'naked bread', referring to dough baked without being buried in ash.
- Because bread is so central to life, the word نان is often used as a general synonym for 'food' or 'livelihood'.
Examples in context
- دیگر هیچ نانی نداریم.We don't have any more bread.This sentence shows how to express the absence of the word نان.Tatoeba #11129986 by sinakd, translation #31118 by CK
- من نان بی نمک می‌خورم.I eat bread without salt.This sentence uses نان to describe eating bread without salt.Tatoeba #11120088 by sinakd, translation #7037813 by Goatstein
- نان و نمک روی میز است.There is bread and salt on the table.This sentence demonstrates using نان as part of a phrase for bread and salt.Tatoeba #11120092 by sinakd, translation #11118892 by sinakd
- می‌خواهم یک برگر با نان سفید سفارش دهم.I would like to order a burger with white bread.
- چند تا نان بربری بخرم برای صبحانه؟How many barbari breads should I buy for breakfast?
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sara and Mohammad are in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
- سارا Saraمحمد، لطفاً کمی نان بخر.Mohammad, lotfan kami nan bekhar.Mohammad, please buy some bread.
- محمد Mohammadالان می‌روم نان می‌گیرم.Alan miravam nan migiram.I will go get bread now.
- سارا Saraنان گرم فراموش نشود.Nan garm faramoush nashavad.Don't forget the warm bread.
- محمد Mohammadباشه، نان تازه می‌خرم.Bashe, nan tazeh mikharam.Okay, I will buy fresh bread.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations and entries نان, نون, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries نان, نون, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
