مَدْرَسَه
madrasa
In Dari, 'school' is مَدْرَسَه (madrasa). Wiktionary also lists مَکْتَب (maktab) and دَبِسْتَان (dabistān).
Meaning: an institution dedicated to teaching and learning (noun)
Ways to say it
| Dari | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| مَدْرَسَه | madrasa |
| مَکْتَب | maktab |
| دَبِسْتَان | dabistān |
| مَدْرِسِه | madrese |
| دَبِسْتان | dabestân |
The term refers to an institution dedicated to teaching and learning.
Which one should you use?
While مَدْرَسَه (madrasa) is the standard form, مَدْرِسِه (madrese) is a common colloquial variation. دَبِسْتَان (dabistān) is used in formal or official contexts, especially regarding educational administration. مَکْتَب (maktab) can mean 'office' or 'desk', but it is also used specifically to refer to traditional religious schools where children learn to read the Quran.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kabul region, the informal word for school is سکول (school).
How do you pronounce it?
madrasa
Did you know?
- The word مَکْتَب is a cognate with the Arabic word for 'office', meaning a person might be going to 'school' or 'the office' depending on the context.
- The term مَکْتَب literally means 'a place of writing', derived from the root for 'to write'.
- In Afghanistan, the term مَدْرَسَه often implies a specifically religious institution, while دَبِسْتَان is used for secular primary education.
Examples in context
- مکتب کجاست؟Maktab kojāst?
- هر روز به مکتب میروم.Har ruz be maktab miravam.
- مَدْرَسَه بزرگ است.madrasa buzurg ast.The school is big.
- او به مَدْرَسَه میرود.u ba madrasa merawad.He goes to school.
- مَدْرَسَه نزدیک خانه است.madrasa nazdik-e khana ast.The school is near the house.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “school” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
