نام
nâm/ˈnaːm/
The Persian word for 'name' is نام (nâm) or اسم. Wiktionary also lists نَام (nām) and اِسْم (ism).
Meaning: word or phrase indicating a particular person, place, class or thing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| نام | nâm | /ˈnaːm/ (Classical Persian) |
| نَام | nām | |
| اِسْم | ism |
Both words function as nouns meaning a word or phrase used to indicate a particular person, place, class or thing. If you need to specify a person's surname, you use the phrase نام خانوادگی, which literally means 'family name'. Related verbs include نامیدن, which means 'to give a name to' and گماردن or نامزدن, which mean 'to designate for a role'.
Which one should you use?
اسم is an Arabic loanword and is the most frequent way to say 'name' in standard conversational Persian. In contrast, نام is often preferred in formal or literary contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of نام is نام‌ها and the plural of اسم is اسم‌ها.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnaːm/
Did you know?
- Even though 'name' is a basic concept, the Persian word نام is a direct relative of the English word 'name' and the Greek 'onoma', sharing a common ancestor from thousands of years ago.
- If you are talking about a person's reputation or their 'good name', Persian often uses the word نام to signify their status or fame rather than just their identity.
- Because اسم is borrowed from Arabic, it follows different patterns of usage in religious or theological contexts compared to the secular نام.
Examples in context
- نام من تام است.My name is Tom.This sentence demonstrates how to introduce yourself using نام.Tatoeba #11114182 by sinakd, translation #1173265 by cntrational
- چطور نام مرا میدانی؟How do you know my name?This sentence shows how to ask about someone knowing a person's نام.Tatoeba #839343 by mahdiye, translation #839341 by mahdiye
- آیا این نام واقعی تو است؟Is this your real name?This sentence is useful for asking if a نام is real.Tatoeba #3842795 by kuarash, translation #3839914 by Eldad
- آقای امیرMr. Amir
- خانم ساراMs. Sara
- دکتر محمدDr. Mohammad
- آقای علی رضا نوریMr. Ali Reza Nouri
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zahra and Mohammad are meeting for the first time at a gathering.
- زهرا Zahraسلام، نام شما چیست؟Salām, nām-e shomā chist?Hello, what is your name?
- محمد Mohammadسلام، نام من محمد است.Salām, nām-e man Mohammad ast.Hello, my name is Mohammad.
- زهرا Zahraاز آشنایی با شما خوشبختم، محمد.Az āshnāyi bā shomā khoshbakhtam, Mohammad.Nice to meet you, Mohammad.
- محمد Mohammadمن هم همینطور، زهرا.Man ham hamintor, Zahra.Me too, Zahra.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “name” translations and entries نام, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries نام, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
