Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| کِشْوَر | kešvar |
| میهَن | mihan |
| سَرْزَمین | sarzamin |
When referring to a nation-state, the terms used depend on the context of the conversation. For a neutral or official description of a nation, use کِشْوَر. If you mean 'country' in the sense of the countryside or rural areas, do not use the nouns for nation-state. Instead, use the adjective روستایی or حاشیه نشین.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word changes the tone significantly: کِشْوَر is the standard, neutral term for a nation-state. میهَن is a more poetic and emotional term often translated as 'homeland'. سَرْزَمین is used in a literary or epic sense to refer to a land, territory or a specific region of one's heritage. Finally, while the nouns above refer to political entities, the adjective روستایی is used to describe things that are rural or related to the countryside.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
kešvar
Did you know?
- The term سَرْزَمین is composed of two parts: سَر meaning 'head' or 'top' and زَمین meaning 'ground' or 'earth'.
- The word کِشْوَر is the standard term used by news anchors and in textbooks, whereas using میهَن in a news report would sound inappropriately dramatic.
- The word میهَن is often used in nationalistic anthems and poetry to evoke a deep, soulful connection to one's roots, much like the English 'motherland'.
Examples in context
- این کتاب دربارهٔ تاریخ کشور من است.This book is about the history of my country.
- با افتخار و سعادت در خدمت وطنم هستم.I am honored and happy to serve my country.
- این کِشْوَر بسیار زیبا است.in keshvar besyar ziba ast.This country is very beautiful.
Example conversation
Niloufar and Ali are talking about a travel plan.
- نیلوفر Niloufarآیا این کِشْوَر را می‌شناسی؟aya in keshvar ra mi-shenasi?Do you know this country?
- علی Aliنه، من آن کِشْوَر را ندیده‌ام.na, man an keshvar ra nadide-am.No, I haven't seen that country.
- نیلوفر Niloufarمن می‌خواهم به آن کِشْوَر سفر کنم.man mi-khaham be an keshvar safar konam.I want to travel to that country.
- علی Aliامیدوارم سفر خوبی در آن کِشْوَر داشته باشی.omidvaram safar-e khubi dar an keshvar dashte bashi.I hope you have a good trip in that country.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “country” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
