پسرخاله
pesarxâle
In Persian, the English word cousin is expressed through several different terms depending on the gender of the cousin and which side of the family they belong to. پسرخاله (pesarxâle). Wiktionary also lists پسرعمو (pesa’amu) and دخترعمو (doxtar’amu).
Meaning: child of a person’s parent’s brother or sister (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| پسرخاله | pesarxâle |
| پسرعمو | pesa’amu |
| دخترعمو | doxtar’amu |
| پسرعمه | pesar’amme |
| دخترعمه | doxtar’amme |
| پسردائی | pesardâ’i |
| دختردائی | doxtardâ’i |
| دخترخاله | doxtarxâle |
Persian uses different words for cousins based on whether they are from the mother's side or father's side.
What does it mean word for word?
The term پسرخاله literally means 'son of maternal aunt'.
Which one should you use?
The terms پسرعمو and دخترعمو specifically refer to the children of a paternal uncle (father's brother).
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'my cousin', you add the possessive suffix '-am' to the end of the noun, as seen in پسرعمویم.
How do you pronounce it?
pesarxâle
Did you know?
- Marriage between cousins is historically common and socially accepted in Iran, meaning these specific terms are often used to navigate complex romantic and familial boundaries.
- The word عمو 'paternal uncle' and دائی 'maternal uncle' have entirely different roots, reflecting a deep linguistic distinction between the father's and mother's bloodlines.
- Because Persian lacks a single word for 'cousin', people often use the general term فامیل 'family member' or بستگان 'relative' when the specific parental link is not important to the conversation.
Examples in context
- می‌خواهم که با پسرعمویم ملاقات کنید.I want you to meet my cousin.This sentence is useful for practicing how to introduce your cousin using the form پسرعمو.Tatoeba #866486 by ghasemkiani, translation #250209 by CK
- او پسرخاله من است.u pesarkhale-ye man ast.He is my maternal aunt's son.
Example conversation
Amir and Zahra are looking at old family photos.
- امیر Amirاین پسرخاله من است.In pesarkhale-ye man ast.This is my cousin.
- زهرا Zahraاو خیلی شبیه تو است.Oo kheyli shabih-e to ast.He looks a lot like you.
- امیر Amirبله، ما خیلی صمیمی هستیم.Bale, ma kheyli samimi hastim.Yes, we are very close.
- زهرا Zahraچه جالب است!Che jaleb ast!How interesting!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cousin” translations and entries پسرخاله, پسرعمو, دخترعمو, پسرعمه, دخترعمه, پسردائی, دختردائی, دخترخاله, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
