زمان
zamān/za.ˈmaːn/
The Persian word for time is زمان (zamān).
زمان refers to time as a measurement of a quantity of time (noun).
Meaning: measurement of a quantity of time (noun)
Which one should you use?
While زمان refers to time as an abstract concept or a period, وقت is more commonly used in everyday speech to refer to a specific moment, an available duration or 'free time'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /za.ˈmaːn/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Persian literature, the concept of 'time' is often personified as a hunter or a thief, a common metaphorical use of زمان that is much more frequent than in modern English.
- The word زمان is a cognate with the Arabic word 'zaman', but it actually originates from an even older Old Persian root *jamānā.
- When talking about 'spending time', Persians do not use a word for 'spend' but instead use a verb that means 'to pass' or 'to go' with زمان.
Examples in context
- زمان غذا مقدس است.Meal time is sacred.This sentence uses زمان to talk about a specific period for meals.Tatoeba #12782934 by manelie, translation #1209997 by zzxjoanw
- زمانشان هنوز نرسیده است.Their time has not yet come.This sentence uses زمان to refer to a specific era or moment in time.Tatoeba #11114325 by sinakd, translation #10734153 by ddnktr
- یادتان باشد زمان پول است.Remember that time is money.This sentence uses زمان to illustrate the concept that time is a valuable resource.Tatoeba #11034752 by cojiluc, translation #7089923 by Adelpa
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ali and Maryam are discussing a project deadline.
- علی Aliآیا ما زمان کافی داریم؟Aya ma zaman-e kafi darim?Do we have enough time?
- مریم Maryamنه، زمان خیلی کم است.Na, zaman kheyli kam ast.No, the time is very short.
- علی Aliباید زمان بیشتری اختصاص دهیم.Bayad zaman-e bishtari ekhtesas dahim.We must allocate more time.
- مریم Maryamموافقم، زودتر شروع کنیم.Movafeqam, zoodtar shoro konim.I agree, let's start sooner.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry زمان, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries زمان, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
