ماشین
mâšin/maː.ˈʃiːn/
In Persian, the word for car is ماشین (mâšin). Wiktionary also lists موتَر (mōtar) and خُودْرَو (xūdraw).
Meaning: automobile, a vehicle steered by a driver (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ماشین | mâšin | /maː.ˈʃiːn/ (Classical Persian) |
| موتَر | mōtar | |
| خُودْرَو | xūdraw | |
| خُودْرو | xūdrō | |
| خودْرُو | xodrow | |
| اُتومُبیل | otomobil |
The term refers to an automobile or a vehicle steered by a driver. While ماشین is used for cars, it can also be used more broadly to refer to any machine or vehicle in certain contexts.
What does it mean word for word?
The word خودرو is a compound of خود (self) and رو (to drive/move), literally meaning 'self-driven'.
Which one should you use?
اتومبیل is a more formal or technical term for automobile.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ماشین is the most common word used to say car in formal Farsi.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word موتَر is commonly used for car in the Dari dialect of Persian spoken in Afghanistan.
How do you pronounce it?
The word ماشین is pronounced /maː.ˈʃiːn/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The word اتومبیل is a loanword from the French 'automobile', following a common pattern where many modern technical terms in Persian are borrowed from French.
- The word ماشین shares the same root as the English word 'machine', making it a cognate that is easy to recognize.
- In a casual setting, if you use the very formal خودرو, you might sound a bit like a textbook or a government official.
Examples in context
- ماشین من الآن درست شد.My car is being fixed now.This sentence is useful for describing the repair status of your ماشین.Tatoeba #848151 by mahdiye, translation #251086 by CK
- او ماشینش را دارد می شوید.He is washing the car.This sentence is useful for describing the action of washing a ماشین.Tatoeba #888501 by mahdiye, translation #299058 by CK
- تام کدام ماشین را انتخاب کرد؟Which car did Tom choose?This sentence is useful for asking about the choice of a ماشین.Tatoeba #3842767 by kuarash, translation #3840024 by sorpaas
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Niloofar and Mohammad are talking about transportation to a party.
- نیلوفر Niloufarمحمد، آیا ماشین داری؟Mohammad, āyā māshin dāri?Mohammad, do you have a car?
- محمد Mohammadبله، ماشین من در پارکینگ است.Bale, māshin-e man dar pārking ast.Yes, my car is in the parking lot.
- نیلوفر Niloufarخیلی خوب، با ماشین برویم.Kheyli khub, bā māshin berovim.Very good, let's go by car.
- محمد Mohammadبسیار خب، نیلوفر، برویم.Besyār khob, Niloofar, berovim.All right, Niloofar, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “car” translations and entries ماشین, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
