Using Expressions Day-to-Day: Fire
April 5, 2022
Learn how to use 5 Iranian Persian expressions in spoken conversation that use the word Atash!
This idiom translates as ‘the water is under the straw’. It takes its meaning from the process of water wetting straw. Water may rise up from beneath the bale of straw, slowly ruining it. However, it will not become apparent for some time – often not until someone comes along to use it and discovers that most of the straw has been destroyed by the water. The ‘sneaky’ nature of the water under the straw, has thus become an idiomatic expression for those who are considered to be sly.
به معنای حیلهگر بودن/ فریبکار بودن/ با نیرنگ کاری رو انجام دادن
:به عنوان مثال
م«میدونستی سامان تو یه هلدینگ بزرگ کار پیدا کرده؟»ت
آ«آره. میدونستم. اولش با پسر مدیرعامل دوست شد و حالا هم داره کنار دستش کار میکنه. این سامان خیلی آب زیرکاهه.»ا
Meaning to be crafty, deceitful, to do something with cunning.
As an example:
“Did you know that Saman found a job at a big company?”
“Yeah, I know. He made friends with the son of the CEO and now he is working alongside him. This Saman is very sneaky!
These two idioms are used to describe someone who is stingy. The first idiom translates as ‘he/she won’t give water to the Imam,’ meaning that he/she is so stingy that they wouldn’t even give water to an Imam. The second, ‘water doesn’t drip from his/her hand’ means that this person is so stingy that they won’t even allow spare drops of water to drip from their hand.
Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash
کنایه از خسیس بودن.پ
It alludes to being stingy.
تا حالا چندین بار با امین رفتیم شام بیرون و اون حتی یک بار هم پول شام رو حساب نکرده. آب از دست این پسر نمیچکه.ت
Up ’til now, we’ve been out several times for dinner with Amin and he hasn’t once paid for dinner. He is so stingy; he is such a scrooge.
This expression is used when someone is pursuing a pointless act (for example, pursuing something despite having no talent) and, is therefore, simply wasting his/her time.
هاون is the Persian word for mortar (as in pestle and mortar). The imagery here, is of someone trying to grind water. Of course, a pointless act.
غربال means sieve. Sieving water! Again, pointless and a waste of time.
به معنای کار بیهوده کردن٬ بیفایده کاری رو انجام دادن.ذ
نگار استعداد یادگیری هنر رو نداره و آب در هاون میکوبه چون با این همه خرجی که برای کلاسهای هنری کرده تا به حال حتی یه نقاشی هم نتونسته بکشه.ی
Meaning ‘doing a futile task’ or ‘doing a task that isn’t beneficial.’
Negar doesn’t have the talent to learn art, she is really flogging a dead horse – as, despite spending a load of money on art classes, she hasn’t been able to draw a single painting.
درس دادن به اون به فايدهای نداره چون اون علاقهای به اين رشته ندارد و من (به عنوان استادش) فقط دارم الکی وقتمو هدر میدم و آب در هاون میکوبم.د
Tutoring him is pointless, he doesn’t have any interest in this course and I (as his teacher) am just wasting my time, it’s like flogging a dead horse.
Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash
This expression translates as ‘the water is polluted from the spring’s source’. It means that the issue with something is a core issue and, therefore, fixing it will not be possible. In English, when discussing more personal matters, we may say that someone is ‘rotten to core’ (though has very heavy connotations of course!). Whilst when speaking about less personal matters it would be more appropriate to say that something is ‘fundamentally flawed’ or that something is the ‘root cause’ of a problem .
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
به معنای مشکل ریشه‌ای
مردم بارها به امید اصلاح نظام حاکمیت تلاش کردند اما بعد از گذشت چندین سال به این نتیجه رسیدند که امیدی به اصلاح این نظام نیست چرا که آب از سرچشمه گل‌آلود است.ا
Meaning a core problem
The people tried many times in hopes of reforming the system, but after several years, they concluded that there was no hope of reforming the system as it is fundamentally flawed.
مريم اميدی به ادامه‌ی زندگی با حمید نداره چون نمی‌تونه حضور همیشگی مادر حمید رو تو زندگیشون تحمل کنه. بارها برای حل این مشکل پیش مشاور رفتن ولی مشکلشون حل نشده چون حمید خیلی به مادرش وابسته است و آب از سرچشمه گل آلود است.ی
Maryam has no hope of continuing to live with Hamid because she cannot tolerate Hamid’s mother’s constant presence in their lives. Many times they went to the counsellor to solve this problem, but their problem has not been solved because Hamid is very dependent on his mother – this is the root cause of their problems.
به معنای دیر شدن یا دیر بودن برای انجام کاری.ن
رضا اين ترم چهار تا درس داره كه سه درس اون رو افتاده. دوستش بهش ميگه «واسه امتحان درس چهارم بيشتر بخون که حداقل اینو قبول شی. رضا هم میگه» «من دیگه آب از سرم گذشته! چه يه وجب چه صد وجب!»ل
Meaning to be late to do something.
Reza has 4 modules this term, three of which he has fallen behind on. His friend tells him “study more for the exam for the fourth module so that you will at least pass that one”. But, Reza says “It’s too little, too late – It won’t make any difference!”
Photo by Alex Gruber on Unsplash
Learn how to use 5 Iranian Persian expressions in spoken conversation that use the word Atash!
For the final instalment of the Using Expressions Day-to-Day: Water series, we bring six Persian expressions used in Iran, with audio and dialogue to improve your everyday speaking and listening, too.
We bring another five Persian expressions used in Iran, with audio and dialogue to improve your everyday speaking and listening, too.
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