زِنْدَگِی
zindagī
The English word "life" is translated into Persian as زِنْدَگِی (zindagī). Wiktionary also lists زِنْدَه (zinda) and حَیَات (hayāt).
Meaning: the state of being alive (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| زِنْدَگِی | zindagī |
| زِنْدَه | zinda |
| حَیَات | hayāt |
| زِیسْت | zīst |
| زِنْدَگَانِی | zindagānī |
| زِنْدِگی | zendegi |
| زِنْدِه | zende |
| حَیات | heyât |
| زیسْت | zist |
| زِنْدِگانی | zendegâni |
The term refers to the state of being alive.
Which one should you use?
زِنْدَگِی is the noun for "life", whereas زِنْدِه is the adjective meaning "alive". For poetic or old-fashioned contexts, زِیسْت can be used. حَیات is a more formal version of the noun.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
حَیات is used in formal or literary settings. زِیسْت is an archaic or poetic form that is rarely used in modern spoken Persian.
How do you pronounce it?
zindagī
Did you know?
- The word زِنْدَگِی shares a root with زِنْدَان, which means 'prison'. Historically, both words relate to the concept of 'staying' or 'being held' in a place.
- The root of زِنْدَگِی is linked to the ancient Indo-European root for 'living', making it a distant relative of the English word 'live'.
- While زِنْدَگِی is the standard word for 'life', if you want to talk about 'lifespan' or 'age', Persians often use the word عُمر, which is an Arabic loanword.
Examples in context
- زِنْدَگِی خیلی سخت است.zendegi kheyli sakht ast.Life is very hard.
- او از زِنْدَگِی در شهر لذت می‌برد.u az zendegi dar shahr lezzat mibarad.He enjoys life in the city.
- زِنْدَگِی در این روستا آرام است.zendegi dar in roostā arām ast.Life in this village is peaceful.
Example conversation
Zahra and Reza are talking about their future goals.
- زهرا Zahraهدف تو در زِنْدَگِی چیست؟Hadaf-e to dar zendegi chist?What is your goal in life?
- رضا Rezaمی‌خواهم خوشحال باشم.Mikham khoshhal basham.I want to be happy.
- زهرا Zahraاین هدف خوبی است.In hadaf-e khoubi ast.That is a good goal.
- رضا Rezaبله، زِنْدَگِی همین است.Bale, zendegi hamin ast.Yes, that is what life is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “life” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
