زشت
zešt/ˈziʃt/
The English word 'ugly' is translated into Persian as زشت (zešt). Wiktionary also lists بیریخت (bi-rixt) and بدقیافه (bad-qiyâfe).
Meaning: displeasing to the eye, not aesthetically pleasing (adj)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| زشت | zešt | /ˈziʃt/ (Classical Persian) |
| بیریخت | bi-rixt | |
| بدقیافه | bad-qiyâfe |
The word is used to describe things that are displeasing to the eye or not aesthetically pleasing.
Which one should you use?
While زشت is a general term for anything ugly, بدقیافه is specifically used to describe a person's facial appearance, acting as 'bad-faced'. Additionally, بیریخت can be used to describe something that lacks aesthetic structure or is 'shapeless' in an ugly way.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بیریخت is a more colloquial term.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is zešt and the IPA is /ˈziʃt/.
Did you know?
- The word زشت is a distant relative of the English word 'ghost'. Both descend from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'anger' or 'agitation'.
- The root of زشت in ancient Avestan was used to mean 'hateful', showing that the concept of ugliness was originally tied to strong negative emotions.
- Persian often uses the phrase زشت to describe a 'disgraceful' act, which is a common way to reprimand children for bad manners.
Examples in context
- جوجه اردک زشت به یک قوی زیبا تبدیل شد.The ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use زشت to describe an animal.Tatoeba #8116693 by cojiluc, translation #7584566 by CHThiem
- شما از یک زن زیبا ظرف سه روز خسته می‌شوید، ولی در همان مدت به یک زن زشت عادت می‌کنید.You'll get tired of a beautiful woman after three days, but you'll get used to an ugly one in the same amount of time.This sentence shows زشت being used to describe a person.Tatoeba #12643418 by Amirreza_Farid, translation #9132018 by CK
- مدرسه ی ما مثل مدرسه ی شما زشت نيست.Our school isn't ugly like yours is.This sentence shows how to use زشت to describe a place like a school.Tatoeba #1582820 by AsliAbbasi, translation #9846509 by anushka
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sara and Reza are looking at a painting in a gallery.
- سارا Saraبه نظرت این تابلو زیباست؟Be nazaret in tāblo zibāst?Do you think this painting is beautiful?
- رضا Rezaنه، به نظر من خیلی زشت است.Ne, be nazare man kheyli zesht ast.No, in my opinion it is very ugly.
- سارا Saraواقعاً؟ من رنگ‌هایش را دوست دارم.Vāghean? Man rang-hā-yash rā doost dāram.Really? I like its colors.
- رضا Rezaولی ترکیب رنگ‌ها زشت است.Vali tarkibe rang-hā zesht ast.But the combination of colors is ugly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ugly” translations and entries زشت, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries زشت, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
