Keeping with a food theme, here are Persian words for some common meats. I’m including a few non-halal (حلال, “permitted,” akin to “Kosher” if you like) meats, because (and this should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway) not everybody who speaks Persian is a Muslim.
Have I missed your favorite? Leave it in comments and I’ll add it!
Meat, گوشت (gūsht):
- Beef: گوشت گاو (gūsht-ِِi gāv, “meat of a cow”)
- Hamburger: همبرگر (hamburgir)
- Steak: استَیک (istayk)
- Veal: گوشت گَوساله (gūsht-ِِi gavsālah)
- Chicken: جوجه (jūjah) or مُرغ (murgh); مرغ is a more generic term for “bird,” but you’ll find these used interchangeably and to mean different kinds of poultry (e.g., you might see a “Joojeh” kabob on the same menu with a “Morgh” kabob, where one refers to chicken and the other to something like Cornish hen)
- Turkey: بو قَلَمون (bū qalamūn)
- Lamb: گوشت بره (gūsht-ِِi barrah) or just بره
- Mutton: گوشت گوسفند (gūsht-ِِi gūsfand)
- Goat: گوشت بز (gūsht-ِِi baz) or just بز
- Pork: گوشت خوک (gūsht-ِِi khūk)
- Ham: ژامبون (zhāmbūn, from the French jambon) or گوشت ران خوک (gūsht-ِِi rān-i khūk, “meat of the thigh of the pig”)
- Bacon (halal bacon can be made from turkey, beef, even fish, provided it’s prepared in the correct way): بَيكن (baykun)
- Sausage (again, halal sausages can be made with beef, turkey, lamb, chicken, etc.): سوسیس (sūsīs)
- Fish: ماهی (māhī)
- Salmon: ماهی قزل آلا (māhī-i qizil ālā, “red fish” or “pink fish”)
- Tuna: تُن ماهی (tun māhī)
- Lobster: لابستر (lābstir)
- Shrimp: میگو (maygū)
- Crab: خرچنگ (kharchang)
Persian Word a Day 