آب
āb/ˈʔaːb/
The English word "water" is translated into Dari as آب (āb). Wiktionary also lists اَو (aw) and او (ow).
Meaning: inorganic compound H₂O (noun)
Ways to say it
| Dari | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| آب | āb | /ˈʔaːb/ (Classical Persian) | |
| اَو | aw | colloquial | |
| او | ow | /aw/ /ow/ |
dialectal |
The word refers to the inorganic compound H₂O.
Which one should you use?
The standard form is آب, while اَو is a colloquial version and او is a dialectal version.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
آب is the formal term for water. In casual speech, you may hear the colloquial form اَو.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form او is used in specific dialects.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /ˈʔaːb/ (āb).
Did you know?
- In Dari and Persian culture, آب is used in metaphors to describe honor or prestige, such as the phrase 'saving face' which involves the 'water' of one's reputation.
- The word آب can be used to describe the 'luster' or 'shine' of a polished surface, such as a gemstone or a piece of metal.
- The word آب is a very ancient term that traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ep-, making it a distant relative of water terms in many other Indo-European languages.
Examples in context
- آب را به جوش آور.Bring the water to the boil.This sentence shows how to use آب when discussing boiling water.Tatoeba #9860460 by sinakd, translation #496220 by blay_paul
- آب کمیاب شده است.Water has become scarce.This sentence uses آب to describe water scarcity.Tatoeba #12699775 by manelie, translation #10314875 by timur_seber
- آیا تو آب مینوشی؟Do you drink water?This sentence uses آب in a question about drinking water.Tatoeba #11125745 by sinakd, translation #8879734 by shekitten
- لطفاً، یک لیوان آب به من بدهید.Please give me a glass of water.
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omar and Sara are sitting at a dinner table.
- عمر Omarسارا، لطفاً برای من یک لیوان آب بیار.Sara, lutfan baraye man yak livan ab biar.Sara, please bring me a glass of water.
- سارا Saraحتماً، آب سرد میخواهی یا گرم؟Hatman, ab-e sard mekhahi ya garm?Sure, do you want cold water or warm?
- عمر Omarآب سرد لطفاً.Ab-e sard lutfan.Cold water, please.
- سارا Saraبفرما عمر، این هم آب تو.Befarma Omar, in ham ab-e tu.Here you go Omar, here is your water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries آب, او, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries آب, او, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
