احمق
ahmaq/ʔah.ˈmaq/
The Persian word for "idiot" is احمق (ahmaq).
احمق is used to describe a person of low general intelligence. In certain informal contexts, the word خر, which literally means "donkey", is also used as an insult to describe someone acting stupidly.
Meaning: person of low general intelligence (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the state of being an idiot or being stupid, you use the verbal noun احمق بودن.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is ahmaq. It has two syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In classical Persian literature, the term احمق referred to someone lacking spiritual wisdom or 'hikmat' rather than just logical intelligence.
- To call someone an idiot in a very polite or sarcastic way, a speaker might use the phrase بسیار باهوش, which literally means 'very intelligent'.
- The word احمق was borrowed into Persian from the Arabic word أَحْمَق.
Examples in context
- ممنونم از اینکه بالاخره به من توضیح دادید چرا مردم من را احمق فرض می گیرند.Thanks for having explained to me at last why people take me for an idiot.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use احمق when discussing how others perceive someone's intelligence.Tatoeba #3841999 by kuarash, translation #1401 by chanchan
- او واقعاً یک آدم احمق است.u vaghe'an yek âdam-e ahmagh ast.He is truly an idiot.
Example conversation
Niloufar and Reza are arguing about a mistake in a report.
- نیلوفر Niloufarرضا، تو چقدر احمق هستی!Reza, to cheghadr ahmagh hasti!Reza, how much of an idiot are you!
- رضا Rezaمن احمق نیستم، فقط اشتباه کردم.Man ahmagh nistam, faghat eshtebâh kardam.I am not an idiot, I just made a mistake.
- نیلوفر Niloufarاین اشتباه بسیار بزرگ بود.In eshtebâh-e besyâr bozorg bud.This mistake was very big.
- رضا Rezaببخشید، دفعه بعد بیشتر دقت می‌کنم.Bebakhshid, dafe-ye ba'd bishtar deghat mikonam.I'm sorry, I will be more careful next time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry احمق, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries احمق, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
