A1 Expression محايد

اشتباه است

eshtebah ast

That's wrong / Mistake

المعنى

Used to point out an error or incorrectness.

🌍

خلفية ثقافية

Directly telling someone 'You are wrong' is often avoided. Instead, Iranians use 'Eshtebah ast' to refer to the *thing* or use phrases like 'Maybe I am wrong, but...' to save the other person's face. In Iranian schools, 'Ghalat' (غلط) is the standard word for a wrong answer on a test, often marked with a large red cross. 'Eshtebah' is seen as a slightly softer term. On Persian social media, 'Eshtebah' is used in political and social activism, such as the hashtag #اشتباه_کردیم (We made a mistake), reflecting on collective social choices. Poets like Hafez often speak of the 'mistake' of the heart or the 'error' of the eye, using 'eshtebah' as a metaphor for the human inability to see the divine truth clearly.

🎯

The 'E' Suffix

If you want to sound like a local in Tehran, always say 'Eshtebāhe' instead of 'Eshtebāh ast'.

⚠️

Don't be too direct

Avoid saying 'In eshtebah ast' to your boss without a 'Bakhshid' (Excuse me) first.

المعنى

Used to point out an error or incorrectness.

🎯

The 'E' Suffix

If you want to sound like a local in Tehran, always say 'Eshtebāhe' instead of 'Eshtebāh ast'.

⚠️

Don't be too direct

Avoid saying 'In eshtebah ast' to your boss without a 'Bakhshid' (Excuse me) first.

💬

Ta'arof Buffer

Use 'Fekr mikonam' (I think) to make your correction sound like an opinion rather than a harsh fact.

اختبر نفسك

Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'to be'.

این جواب _______ (is) اشتباه.

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: است

The third-person singular 'is' in formal Persian is 'است'.

Which sentence is the most polite way to correct a teacher?

How do you tell a teacher their calculation is wrong?

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: ببخشید استاد، فکر می‌کنم این اشتباه است.

Adding 'Bakhshid' and 'Fekr mikonam' makes the correction polite (Ta'arof).

Match the Persian phrase with its English meaning.

Match the following:

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: اشتباه است: It is wrong (Formal), اشتباه نیست: It is not wrong, اشتباه بود: It was wrong, اشتباهه: It's wrong (Spoken)

Matching the tense and register is key.

🎉 النتيجة: /3

وسائل تعلم بصرية

Formal vs Spoken

Written
اشتباه است Eshtebah ast
Spoken
اشتباهه Eshtebāhe

بنك التمارين

3 تمارين
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'to be'. Fill Blank A1

این جواب _______ (is) اشتباه.

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: است

The third-person singular 'is' in formal Persian is 'است'.

Which sentence is the most polite way to correct a teacher? Choose A2

How do you tell a teacher their calculation is wrong?

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: ببخشید استاد، فکر می‌کنم این اشتباه است.

Adding 'Bakhshid' and 'Fekr mikonam' makes the correction polite (Ta'arof).

Match the Persian phrase with its English meaning. Match A2

طابق كل عنصر على اليسار مع زوجه على اليمين:

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: اشتباه است: It is wrong (Formal), اشتباه نیست: It is not wrong, اشتباه بود: It was wrong, اشتباهه: It's wrong (Spoken)

Matching the tense and register is key.

🎉 النتيجة: /3

الأسئلة الشائعة

14 أسئلة

The word itself is neutral, but 'Eshtebah ast' is formal/written, while 'Eshtebāhe' is informal/spoken.

No, for 'evil' or 'morally wrong,' use 'bad' or 'nadorost.' 'Eshtebah' is for mistakes.

'Ghalat' is more blunt and often used for objective errors (like 2+2=5), while 'Eshtebah' is broader.

Say 'Man eshtebah kardam' (من اشتباه کردم).

It can be blunt. Use 'Bakhshid' to soften it.

Yes! 'Shomareh eshtebah ast' (Wrong number).

الف-ش-ت-ب-ا-ه (A-Sh-T-B-A-H).

Yes, 'Eshtebāhāt' (اشتباهات), which is the Arabic plural form.

It's better to say 'Kāmalan eshtebah' (Completely wrong).

'Dorost ast' (It is correct).

Yes, it is understood and used in all major Persian dialects.

Yes, 'Yek eshtebah' means 'a mistake'.

Say 'In yek eshtebah-e bozorg ast'.

That is the spoken contraction of 'Eshtebah ast'.

عبارات ذات صلة

🔄

غلط است

synonym

It is wrong/incorrect

🔄

نادرست است

synonym

It is incorrect

🔗

اشتباه می‌کنی

builds on

You are making a mistake

🔗

خطا است

specialized form

It is an error

🔗

سهو است

specialized form

It is a slip/oversight

🔗

درست است

contrast

It is correct

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