Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| عِشْق | išq |
| مُحَبَّت | muhabbat |
| مَحَبَّت | mahabbat |
| مِهْر | mihr |
In Persian, the word for "love" changes significantly depending on whether you are describing intense passion, general kindness or everyday affection. You can also use related verbal phrases to express the act of loving or being in love.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ in the intensity and type of affection they describe. عِشْق refers to an intense, passionate or overwhelming form of love. In contrast, مُحَبَّت and مَحَبَّت typically describe affection, kindness or a sense of warmth and friendliness. The word مِهْر is used in a more poetic or classical sense to denote benevolence, kindness or affection.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing the concept of love through verbs, there is a distinction in meaning: عشق داشتن means "to have love", whereas عاشق بودن is specifically used to mean "to be in love" with someone. The most common way to say "to love" or "to like" in both speech and writing is دوست داشتن.
How do you pronounce it?
išq
When do people say it?
In informal Persian settings, people use various terms of endearment and phrases to express affection. For example, Azizam can be used to mean "my dear" or "my beloved" and Golam can be used affectionately to mean "my flower". To express that you miss someone in an informal way, you might say Delam barat tang shode, which translates to "My heart misses you".
Did you know?
- If you say 'my heart misses you' using Delam barat tang shode, you are literally saying 'My heart has become tight for you'.
- The word مِهْر is the root of the name 'Mithra', an ancient Indo-Iranian deity of light and covenants. This highlights the word's transition from a religious concept to a term for kindness.
- While دوست داشتن is the common way to say 'to love', it literally translates to 'having a friend'. In Persian, the act of loving is conceptually tied to the act of friendship.
Examples in context
- عِشْقِ او به هنر واقعی است.eshgh-e u be honar vaghe'i ast.His love for art is real.
- این یک عِشْق قدیمی و زیباست.in yek eshq-e ghadimi va zibast.This is an old and beautiful love.
Example conversation
Ali and Zahra are talking about their relationship.
- علی Aliمن عِشْق تو را حس میکنم.Man eshgh-e to ra hes mikonam.I feel your love.
- زهرا Zahraمن هم تو را دوست دارم، علی.Man ham to ra doost daram, Ali.I love you too, Ali.
- علی Aliعِشْق ما برای همیشه است.Eshgh-e ma baraye hamishe ast.Our love is for forever.
- زهرا Zahraبله، این حقیقت است.Bale, in haghighat ast.Yes, that is the truth.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
