Animals

1. سگ

   Sag

   Dog

   Usage

   "Sag marā gāz gereft" means "a dog bit me". Aimed at a person it is a serious insult, so keep it to the animal. Rabies is a real risk — see a doctor if bitten

2. گربه

   Gorbe

   Cat

   Usage

   Cats are everywhere in Iranian gardens and bazaars, and the long-haired "gorbe-ye īrānī", the Persian cat, is held to originate here. If you are allergic, say "be gorbe hassāsiyat dāram"

3. پرنده

   Parande

   Bird

   Usage

   The general word; it literally means "flyer". The Caspian wetlands and the Persian Gulf coast are important wintering grounds for migratory birds

4. ماهی

   Māhi

   Fish

   Usage

   The same word covers the animal and the dish. Goldfish are part of the Nowruz new-year table, and "māhī-ye qermez" appears on street corners in the run-up

5. اسب

   Asb

   Horse

   Usage

   The native Caspian horse ("asb-e kāspīan") is one of the oldest and smallest breeds. Horse riding is "asbsavārī"

6. شتر

   Shotor

   Camel

   Usage

   You will ride one on a tour near Yazd or into the Dasht-e Kavir, and villages on the desert edge still keep them. They rise abruptly, so find your handhold first

7. الاغ

   Olāgh

   Donkey

   Usage

   Still carrying loads in villages and hill country. Aimed at a person it is an insult, so keep it to the animal — and the synonym "khar" (خر) is harsher still

8. گاو

   Gāv

   Cow

   Usage

   Kept on farms. Beef is "gūsht-e gāv". The bull carved into the reliefs at Persepolis has been a central image since antiquity

9. گوسفند

   Gusfand

   Sheep

   Usage

   You will meet flocks on mountain roads, herded by the Bakhtiari and Qashqai nomads of the Zagros. The meat, "gūsht-e gūsfand", is the basis of kebab

10. بز

    Boz

    Goat

    Usage

    Widely kept because it copes with dry slopes. The wild "boz-e kūhī", the ibex, lives on the crags of the Zagros and Alborz

11. مرغ

    Morgh

    Chicken / hen

    Usage

    Covers both the hen and the meat. "Jūje kabāb", grilled chicken on a skewer, is a fixture of every Iranian eatery

12. خروس

    Khorus

    Rooster

    Usage

    In village guesthouses it will wake you at dawn

13. اردک

    Ordak

    Duck

    Usage

    Seen in the Caspian wetlands and on park ponds

14. کبوتر

    Kabutar

    Pigeon / dove

    Usage

    They flock in mosque courtyards and squares. Around Isfahan you can still see the pigeon towers ("borj-e kabūtar") built to harvest the droppings as fertiliser

15. گنجشک

    Gonjeshk

    Sparrow

    Usage

    The small bird you see most often in street trees and gardens. The Persian garden, "bāgh", with its water channels and shade, draws them in

16. عقاب

    Oqāb

    Eagle

    Usage

    Circling above the Alborz and Zagros ranges — you will find yourself looking up a lot on a mountain hike

17. روباه

    Rubāh

    Fox

    Usage

    Widespread in desert and mountains, usually seen at dusk. At desert camps they come to the smell of food, so seal your supplies

18. گرگ

    Gorg

    Wolf

    Usage

    Present in the mountains and the northeastern steppe. Travellers almost never see one, but it is why the nomads keep sheepdogs

19. خرس

    Khers

    Bear

    Usage

    Brown bears live in the Zagros and Alborz. Ask a local guide before setting out on a hike

20. یوزپلنگ

    Yuzpalang

    Asiatic cheetah

    Usage

    Critically endangered and now surviving in the wild only in Iran, where it is treated as a national symbol. A handful live in the central desert reserves, and it has appeared on the national football shirt

21. آهو

    Āhu

    Gazelle

    Usage

    Lives on the semi-desert plains, and recurs in Persian poetry as the image of beautiful eyes — "cheshm-e āhū", gazelle eyes, is high praise

22. گورخر ایرانی

    Gurkhar-e irāni

    Onager (Persian wild ass)

    Usage

    The Persian wild ass, a rare species surviving in the central desert national parks such as Kavir and Touran. Its name is bound up with the legend of the hunting king Bahram Gur

23. خرگوش

    Khargush

    Rabbit / hare

    Usage

    Found in fields and semi-desert. The name reads literally as "donkey ear", for the long ears

24. موش

    Mush

    Mouse / rat

    Usage

    Report one at reception: "dar otāq mūsh hast", there is a mouse in the room

25. مار

    Mār

    Snake

    Usage

    Sheltering in ruined walls and on dry slopes. A venomous one is "mār-e sammī". If bitten, keep still and call 115

26. مارمولک

    Mārmulak

    Lizard

    Usage

    Common in the desert and among ruins, and harmless. Iran's deserts are noted for an unusually rich variety of lizards

27. عقرب

    Aqrab

    Scorpion

    Usage

    The thing to watch for at desert camps — southern and southeastern Iran have dangerous species. Shake out shoes and sleeping bags before use, and get medical help at once if stung

28. عنکبوت

    Ankabut

    Spider

    Usage

    House spiders are essentially harmless, and the desert camel spider looks alarming but has no venom

29. پشه

    Pashe

    Mosquito

    Usage

    Worst in the Caspian wetlands and the south. Repellent is "zedd-e pashe"; "dar otāq pashe hast" reports mosquitoes in the room

30. مگس

    Magas

    Fly

    Usage

    A nuisance at outdoor eateries and in markets — at sweet shops, check the goods are covered

31. زنبور

    Zanbur

    Bee / wasp

    Usage

    A honeybee is "zanbūr-e asal" (bee of honey) and a hornet "zanbūr-e sorkh". If you are allergic, say "be nīsh-e zanbūr hassāsiyat dāram". Iranian honey, "asal", is a market staple

32. مورچه

    Murche

    Ant

    Usage

    Report them if they appear in the room or kitchenette, and keep food covered

33. سوسک

    Susk

    Cockroach

    Usage

    The word covers beetles generally, but in a guesthouse it means a cockroach. "Dar otāq sūsk hast, mīshavad otāq rā avaz konam?" asks to change rooms

34. لاک‌پشت

    Lākposht

    Turtle / tortoise

    Usage

    Literally "shell back". Tortoises live in the semi-desert, and sea turtles nest on the beaches of Kish and Qeshm in the Persian Gulf

35. قورباغه

    Qurbāghe

    Frog

    Usage

    Heard at night in the rice fields and marshes of the Caspian coast. Not eaten in Iranian cooking

Browse all TravelPhrases languages