مدت
moddat/mud.ˈdat/
The English word 'duration' is translated into Persian as مدت (moddat). Wiktionary also lists درازنای (derâznây).
Meaning: amount of time (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| مدت | moddat | /mud.ˈdat/ (Classical Persian) |
| درازنای | derâznây |
مدت refers to an amount of time. For more formal contexts, you can use the term مدت زمان. If you want to specify a long duration, the formal phrase طولانی مدت is used. To say 'for a duration', the formal expression is به مدت. In informal settings, you can use خیلی طولانی to emphasize that a duration is very long.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /mud.ˈdat/. The stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In poetic Persian literature, the 'duration' of a moment is often described as یک چشم به هم زدن, which translates literally to 'one blink of an eye'.
- While مدت focuses on the span of time, the alternative درازنای comes from the word for 'length' in a physical, spatial sense.
- The word مدت is actually a linguistic traveler from Arabic, specifically the word مُدَّة, meaning 'a period of time'.
Examples in context
- مدت سفرت چقدر بود؟What was the duration of your trip?
- طولانی مدتی است که داریم در این پروژه کار می‌کنیم.We have been working on this project for a long duration.
- به مدت یک هفته به تعطیلات رفتیم.We went on vacation for a week.
- مدت سفر خیلی طولانی بود.modat-e safar kheyli tulani bud.The duration of the trip was very long.
- مدت زمان کلاس چقدر است؟modat-e zaman-e kelas cheqadr ast?What is the duration of the class?
- مدت انتظار چند دقیقه است؟modat-e entezar chand daqiqe ast?What is the duration of the wait (in minutes)?
Example conversation
Amir and Maryam are talking about a movie.
- امیر Amirفیلم را دیدی؟Film ra didi?Did you see the movie?
- مریم Maryamبله، اما مدت فیلم خیلی زیاد بود.Bale, ama moddat-e film kheyli ziad bud.Yes, but the duration of the movie was very long.
- امیر Amirواقعاً؟ خسته کننده بود؟Vaghean? Khaste konande bud?Really? Was it boring?
- مریم Maryamنه، فقط کمی طولانی بود.Na, faqat kami toulani bud.No, it was just a bit long.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “duration” translations and entries مدت, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries مدت, CC BY-SA 4.0.
