As we count down to Valentine’s Day, did you know that another celebration of love – of women and earth – is just around the corner: the ancient Persian festival of Sepandār-mazgān (سپندارمذگان), which is celebrated on February 18th this year?!
Although it was only recently that the festival gained popularity among Persian communities worldwide, Sepandār-mazgān was historically marked on the 5th of ‘Esfand’ (the 12th month in the Persian calendar) and dates back to the 20th century BC! Today, in Iran, this day is observed a week earlier, on 29th of ‘Bahman’ (the 11th month in the Persian calendar) due to changes in the calendar with time.
This Valentine’s Day through to Sepandār-mazgān (and beyond!), express your affection for a loved one with these Persian phrases.
1. Doostet daram (دوستت دارم)
It literally translates to “I like you” but is a common and widely recognized way to say “I love you” to a loved one, family or friends in Persian!
2. Asheghetam (عاشقتم)
From the word eshgh “عشق” (love), it literally translates to: “I’m in love with you.” It’s a much more intense expression of love used in both romantic and close platonic relationships alike!
3. Jigar tala (جیگر طلا)
Now this Persian expression is a truly unique way to address a loved one – it literally means “golden liver”! It conveys how vital you think they are to your existence.
4. Fadat besham (فدات بشم)
The ultimate expression of affection, this phrase means “I am willing to sacrifice myself for you.” Use this expression the next time someone says something super adorable that makes your heart melt. This expression is purely metaphorical and not to be taken literally in any case!
5. Eshghe mani (عشق منی)
Translating to “you are my love”, this phrase can be used in response to a lovely comment by a loved one. Derived from the word eshgh “عشق” (love), you can flip the expression around and add the possessive pronoun “my”, or suffix “-am” in Persian: “eshgh” + “am” = eshgham (عشقم) to mean ‘‘my love’’.
Other common terms of endearment include: azizam (عزیزم, my dear), asalam (عسلم, my honey), khoshgelam (خوشگلم, my beautiful), nafasam (نفسم, my breath), jigaram (جیگرم, my liver).
This February (and beyond), give the Gift of Language in Persian to your jigar tala (جیگر طلا) or take your love expressions to the next level with NaTakallam’s Persian sessions! At NaTakallam, every language session contributes to the livelihoods of our skilled tutors from refugee/displaced backgrounds. What says “doostet daram” more than that?
Ps. Thinking of Valentine’s Day gift ideas? Go beyond chocolates & flowers… surprise your loved one with the Gift of Language! Meaningful, impactful AND shipping-free! 😉
