لیمون
limun
The Persian word for lemon is لیمون (limun) or لیمو.
Meaning: citrus fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| لیمون | limun | |
| لیمو | limu | /liː.ˈmuː/ (Classical Persian) |
In Persian, the word لیمو is used for both the fruit (lemon) and the general category of citrus fruits like limes.
Which one should you use?
The final 'n' sound in the form لیمون is often a result of the colloquial tendency to add a nasalized 'n' to words ending in vowels.
How do you pronounce it?
limun
Did you know?
- The Persian word لیمو is actually a linguistic traveler that entered the language via Sanskrit, which had borrowed it from an even older Austroasiatic language.
- While English speakers use 'lemon' to describe a faulty product or a dull color, Persian speakers use the term for the fruit itself without these secondary metaphorical meanings.
- The word لیمو is shared with several other Middle Eastern languages due to the historical influence of Persian trade and culture across the Silk Road.
Examples in context
- تام برای اولین بار یک لیمو شیرین خورد.Tom ate a sweet lemon for the first time.This sentence shows how to use لیمو when describing the taste of the fruit.Tatoeba #13098090 by cojiluc, translation #5793341 by Eccles17
- یک چای با لیمو، لطفاً.A tea with lemon, please.This sentence demonstrates how to use لیمو when ordering a drink.Tatoeba #1674334 by AsliAbbasi, translation #29490 by CK
Example conversation
Zahra and Reza are preparing a salad in the kitchen.
- زهرا Zahraرضا، لیمون تازه داریم؟Reza, limun taze darim?Reza, do we have fresh lemons?
- رضا Rezaبله، دو تا توی یخچال هست.Bale, do ta tuye yakhchal hast.Yes, there are two in the fridge.
- زهرا Zahraلطفاً یک لیمون برای من بیار.Lotfan yek limun baraye man biar.Please bring a lemon for me.
- رضا Rezaباشه، الان میآورم.Bashe, alan miavaram.Okay, I'll bring it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lemon” translations and entries لیمو, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries لیمو, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
