تَنبَل
tanbal
The Persian word for "lazy" is تَنبَل (tanbal). If unsure, use تَنبَل. Wiktionary also lists لس (las).
Meaning: unwilling to work (adj)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| تَنبَل | tanbal |
| لس | las |
The term is used to describe someone who is unwilling to work.
Which one should you use?
While تَنبَل is the standard adjective, لس is another way to express being lazy. For a more formal context, you may use سست‌کار.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective تَنبَل is invariant in gender, meaning it does not change form to match a masculine or feminine subject. You can also form the noun meaning "laziness" by adding the suffix ـی to the adjective, resulting in تَنبَلی.
How do you pronounce it?
tanbal
Did you know?
- The word لس shares a common ancestor with the English word 'slow', both tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'weary' or 'slow'.
- In many Persian-speaking regions, calling someone تَنبَل can sometimes be used as a playful, affectionate tease between close friends rather than a harsh insult.
- In some Persian idioms, laziness is associated with 'heaviness' of the body, suggesting that a تَنبَل person is physically too heavy to move.
Examples in context
- دیشب حسابی تنبلی شدید کردیم و تمام شب رو تو خواب گذروندیم.Last night, we were extremely lazy and spent the whole night sleeping.
- او خیلی تَنبَل است.u kheyli tanbal ast.He is very lazy.
- من امروز خیلی تَنبَل هستم.man emruz kheyli tanbal hastam.I am very lazy today.
- او یک پسر تَنبَل است.u yek pesar-e tanbal ast.He is a lazy boy.
Example conversation
Amir and Zahra are talking at home about cleaning the house.
- امیر Amirزهرا، بیا خانه را تمیز کنیم.Zahra, bia khane ra tamiz konim.Zahra, let's clean the house.
- زهرا Zahraمن الان خیلی تَنبَل هستم.man alan kheyli tanbal hastam.I am very lazy right now.
- امیر Amirاما تو همیشه تَنبَل هستی!ama to hamishe tanbal hasti!But you are always lazy!
- زهرا Zahraباشه، الان بلند می‌شوم.bashe, alan boland mishavam.Okay, I will get up now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lazy” translations and entries لس, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries لس, CC BY-SA 4.0.
