شیر
šēr/ˈʃeːr/
The Persian word for "lion" is شیر (šēr).
The word شیر refers to the big cat Panthera leo. It is important to note that شیر is a homonym. It also means "milk". The intended meaning of the word must be determined by the context of the sentence.
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is šēr and the IPA is /ˈʃeːr/.
Did you know?
- The word شیر is used for both 'lion' and 'faucet' or 'tap' in Persian. This is because early water taps in Iran were often designed to look like lion heads.
- In Persian culture, the 'lion and sun' symbol شیر و خورشید was a central emblem of Iran for centuries and appeared on many national flags.
- Ancient Persian art frequently depicts the شیر not just as a wild animal, but as a guardian figure protecting the entrances to palaces.
Examples in context
- این شیر خیلی اهلی هست.This lion is very tame.This sentence is useful for describing a lion that is tame using شیر.Tatoeba #12876042 by manelie, translation #60370 by CK
- شیر را بر گردن ار زنجیر بود / بر همه زنجیر سازان میر بود.Even if a lion wears a chain around its neck. He is lord and master of those who make the shackles check.This sentence uses شیر in a poetic context regarding a lion and its shackles.Tatoeba #9872263 by cojiluc, translation #12607473 by cojiluc
- یک سگ زنده بهتر از یک شیر مرده است.A living dog is better than a dead lion.This sentence uses شیر to illustrate a comparison between a dog and a lion.Tatoeba #1601763 by AsliAbbasi, translation #410321 by Scott
Example conversation
Mohammad and Niloufar are looking at animals in a zoo.
- محمد Mohammadنیلوفر، آن شیر را ببین!Niloufar, aan shir ra bebin!Niloufar, look at that lion!
- نیلوفر Niloufarوای، چقدر شیر بزرگ است.Vay, cheqadr shir bozorg ast.Wow, the lion is so big.
- محمد Mohammadشیر واقعاً حیوان قدرتمندی است.Shir vaqean heyvan-e qodratmandi ast.The lion really is a powerful animal.
- نیلوفر Niloufarبله، من عاشق شیر هستم.Bale, man ashegh-e shir hastam.Yes, I love lions.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries شیر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries شیر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
