علف هرز
'alaf-e harz
The English word "weed" is translated into Persian as علف هرز ('alaf-e harz). Wiktionary also lists هرز واش (harz-vâš).
Meaning: unwanted plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| علف هرز | 'alaf-e harz |
| هرز واش | harz-vâš |
The term refers to an unwanted plant. Note that in a formal context, the phrase گیاه مخدر is used to mean "narcotic plant."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase علف هرز is composed of alaf, meaning "grass" or "herb" and harz, meaning "useless" or "worthless". Literally, it translates to "useless grass".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb وجین کردن means "to remove weeds from."
How do you pronounce it?
'alaf-e harz
Did you know?
- The word علف was borrowed from Arabic and eventually pushed aside the native Persian word اسپست for 'grass'.
- In Persian, علف can refer to 'grass' or 'herb' but is also used in idioms to describe something trivial or insignificant.
- The word واش is a remnant of Middle Persian that survives in many northern Iranian dialects, like Mazanderani, even though it is no longer the standard word for 'grass' in modern Persian.
Examples in context
- این یک علف هرز است.in yek alaf-e harz ast.This is a weed.
- باید علف هرز را از باغچه برداری.bayad alaf-e harz ra az baghche bardari.You should remove the weed from the garden.
- در باغچه کلی علف هرز پیدا کردم.dar baghche kolli alaf-e harz peyda kardam.I found a lot of weeds in the garden.
Example conversation
Amir and Maryam are working in their backyard.
- امیر Amirمریم، اینجا چقدر علف هرز زیاد است.Maryam, injā cheqadr alaf-e herz ziād ast.Maryam, there are so many weeds here.
- مریم Maryamبله، باید سریع آن‌ها را پاک کنیم.Bale, bāyad sari alānhā rā pāk konim.Yes, we should clear them quickly.
- امیر Amirآیا دستکش برای جمع کردن علف هرز داری؟Āyā dastkesh barāye jam' kardan-e alaf-e herz dāri?Do you have gloves for gathering weeds?
- مریم Maryamبله، در کابینت آشپزخانه هستند.Bale, dar kābinet-e āshpazkhāne hastand.Yes, they are in the kitchen cabinet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weed” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries علف, واش, CC BY-SA 4.0.
