خوش‌تیپ
khosh-tip
To say handsome in Persian, use خوش‌تیپ (khosh-tip).
خوش‌تیپ describes an attractive man and puts the focus on his style and well groomed appearance. It can also describe general attractiveness.
Meaning: of man: attractive (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
خوش‌تیپ is a compound of khosh (good) and tip (style, type or appearance), so it literally means good style.
Which one should you use?
خوش‌قیافه (khosh-ghiyafeh) is another common way to call a man handsome, and it focuses on the face rather than style. زیبا (ziba) is a more general word for beauty, used more for women and objects. In Iran people may also say pesar-e khoshgel to call a young man good looking.
How does it change in a sentence?
خوش‌تیپ does not change for gender. It can describe women too, though it is used mostly for men.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as khosh-tip, two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Use خوش‌تیپ or خوش‌قیافه for a man rather than زیبا, which sounds more like beautiful.
Did you know?
- The word تیپ in خوش‌تیپ is actually a loanword from the English word 'type'. In Persian, it evolved to specifically mean one's personal style or the way they dress.
- The word قیافه in خوش‌قیافه comes from the Arabic word for 'tracking' or 'recognizing by signs'. It originally referred to the art of judging a person's character by their facial features.
- In formal Persian poetry and classical literature, the word زیبا is frequently used for men. Using it for a man today sounds very romantic or archaic compared to the modern خوش‌تیپ.
Examples in context
- او خیلی خوش‌تیپ است.u kheyli khoshtip ast.He is very handsome.
- برادرت خیلی خوش‌تیپ شده است.barādarat kheyli khoshtip shode ast.Your brother has become very handsome.
- آن پسر خوش‌تیپ است.ān pesar khoshtip ast.That boy is handsome.
Example conversation
Niloufar and Ali are talking about a man they saw at a party.
- علی Aliنیلوفر، آن مرد را دیدی؟Niloufar, ān mard rā didi?Niloufar, did you see that man?
- نیلوفر Niloufarبله، او خیلی خوش‌تیپ بود.Bale, u kheyli khoshtip bud.Yes, he was very handsome.
- علی Aliواقعاً، او بسیار جذاب بود.Vāghe'an, u besyār jazzāb bud.Really, he was very attractive.
- نیلوفر Niloufarدرست است، علی.Dorost ast, Ali.That is true, Ali.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خوش‌تیپ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
