خانم
xānum/xaː.ˈnum/
The Persian word for madam is خانم (xānum).
خانم is a polite term used to address a woman. It functions both as a standalone way to address a lady and as a title placed before a surname, similar to Ms. or Lady in English.
Meaning: polite term of address to a woman (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /xaː.ˈnum/. The stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The root of خانم is related to the title خان, which was used for rulers and chiefs in Central Asia.
- The word خانم can also be used as a noun to refer to a 'wife' in certain polite or indirect speech patterns, a nuance not present in the English 'Madam'.
- While خانم is used for women, the masculine version آقا has a different origin and is not a linguistic pair in the same way Turkic titles are.
Examples in context
- خانم، وقت دارید؟khānom, vaqt dārid?Madam, do you have a moment?
- این خانم معلم ما است.in khānom moallem-e mā ast.This lady is our teacher.
Example conversation
Reza is helping Zahra in a store.
- رضا Rezaسلام خانم، چه کمکی از دستم برمیآید؟Salam khanom, che komaki az dastam barmi-ayad?Hello madam, how can I help you?
- زهرا Zahraسلام، دنبال یک کتاب میگردم.Salam, donbale yek ketab migardam.Hello, I am looking for a book.
- رضا Rezaبفرمایید خانم، کتابها در این قسمت هستند.Befarmayid khanom, ketabha dar in ghesmat hastand.Right this way madam, the books are in this section.
- زهرا Zahraخیلی ممنونم از شما.Kheyli mamnoonam az shoma.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry خانم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
