B1 adjective 12 min de lectura
At the A1 level, learners are just beginning to build their foundational vocabulary for introducing themselves and describing basic personal information. The word for 'married' is introduced very early on, usually in the same lesson as age, nationality, and professions. For an A1 learner, the primary goal is simply to memorize the word and be able to use it with the present tense of the 'to be' verb. You learn to say 'I am married' (Man mota'ahhel hastam) and 'I am not married' (Man mota'ahhel nistam). You also learn to recognize the question 'Are you married?' (Shoma mota'ahhel hastid?). The focus is purely on practical, immediate communication. Grammar rules are kept to a minimum; you just need to know that this word functions as an adjective describing your state. Pronunciation practice at this stage focuses on getting the syllables right, even if the glottal stop is not perfectly executed. You are also taught its direct opposite, 'mojarrad' (single), as they are almost always taught as a pair. By mastering this word at A1, you can successfully fill out basic forms, answer simple questions about your family life, and understand when someone else is telling you about their marital status. It is a crucial building block for basic conversational fluency.
As you progress to the A2 level, your ability to use this word expands beyond simple self-introduction. You start using it to describe other people—friends, family members, and characters in stories. You practice saying things like 'My brother is married' or 'They are a married couple.' At this stage, you also begin to use the word in different tenses, particularly the past tense. You learn how to say 'He was married' (Ou mota'ahhel bood) or 'They got married last year' using the verb 'shodan' (to become). The A2 level also introduces the Ezafe construction more formally, so you learn to place the adjective directly after a noun, such as 'mard-e mota'ahhel' (a married man). Culturally, you start to understand the importance of this status in Persian society through simple reading texts and dialogues. You might read a short story about a family where the marital status of the characters is a key detail. You also become more aware of the pronunciation, striving to include the subtle glottal stop that marks the Arabic origin of the word. Overall, A2 gives you the flexibility to use the word in a wider variety of everyday contexts and sentence structures.
Reaching the B1 level means you are becoming an independent user of the language. Here, the word for 'married' becomes part of more complex discussions and narratives. You are no longer just stating facts; you are explaining situations, giving reasons, and discussing cultural norms. You might use this word in sentences like 'Because he is married, he needs a larger apartment' or 'Being married in Iran involves many family responsibilities.' At B1, you also encounter the plural form 'mota'ahhelin' and learn how to use it in formal contexts, such as reading university regulations about dormitories for married students. You begin to distinguish this word from related vocabulary like 'ezdevaj' (marriage) and 'arusi' (wedding), avoiding the common mistakes beginners make. Your listening comprehension improves to the point where you can catch this word in fast-paced conversations, movies, and news broadcasts. You also start to understand the social nuances, such as why landlords prefer married tenants, and can express these cultural observations in Persian. The B1 level solidifies your command of the word, turning it from a simple vocabulary item into a tool for expressing complex social realities.
At the B2 level, your mastery of the word is characterized by fluency, nuance, and the ability to navigate different registers of speech. You can effortlessly switch between formal and informal ways of expressing marital status. While you know that this word is the standard term, you also start using colloquial alternatives like 'zan-dar' or 'shohar-dar' when chatting with friends, recognizing that these terms add a more relaxed, conversational tone. You can engage in deep discussions about the sociological aspects of marriage, using this word in abstract contexts. For example, you might discuss the declining rate of married individuals in urban areas or the economic challenges faced by young married couples. Your writing skills allow you to use this word correctly in formal essays, reports, and professional correspondence. You are fully comfortable with the grammar, never confusing it with a noun or a verb, and you use it flawlessly with complex verb tenses, including the present perfect and past perfect. The B2 level ensures that you not only know what the word means but also how to wield it with the precision and cultural awareness of a highly proficient speaker.
At the C1 advanced level, your use of the word is nearly indistinguishable from a native speaker. You possess a deep understanding of its etymology, knowing that it derives from the Arabic root for 'family' or 'people' (Ahl), and you can connect it to other words in the same family, such as 'ahliyat' (competence). You can use the word in idiomatic, sarcastic, or highly nuanced ways. For instance, you might understand a joke in a movie where the word is used ironically to describe someone who acts entirely single. You are comfortable reading classical literature or historical texts where older forms or related terms like 'ayaldar' are used, and you can explain the subtle differences in meaning to a lower-level learner. In professional and academic settings, you use the plural 'mota'ahhelin' and related bureaucratic jargon with absolute confidence. You can debate the legal and social implications of marital status in Iranian law, using this word as a cornerstone of your argument. At C1, the word is fully integrated into your extensive vocabulary network, allowing you to express the most sophisticated and subtle thoughts regarding family, society, and legal status in the Persian-speaking world.
At the C2 mastery level, your command of the word and all its related concepts is absolute. You understand the profound cultural, legal, and historical weight the word carries in Persian literature, poetry, and theology. You can analyze how the concept of being married has evolved in Iranian society over the centuries, using this vocabulary effortlessly in high-level academic discourse. You are aware of regional variations in pronunciation and usage, and you can adapt your speech perfectly to any audience, from a formal academic conference to a casual gathering in a rural village. You can play with the word stylistically, creating poetic or rhetorical effects in your writing. You understand every idiom, proverb, and cultural reference related to marital status, even those that are obscure or archaic. At this ultimate level of proficiency, the word is not just a translation of 'married'; it is a gateway to the entire conceptual universe of family, obligation, and social structure in the Persian language, and you navigate this universe with complete and effortless mastery.
The Persian word for 'married' is a fascinating term that carries deep linguistic and cultural significance. When you want to express the marital status of having a husband or a wife, this is the precise vocabulary item you will reach for in both formal and informal contexts. Understanding this word is essential for anyone learning Persian, as family and marital status hold a central place in Iranian culture and daily conversations. The word is an adjective, used to describe a person who has entered into a legal and social union of marriage. In Persian society, being married often signifies a transition into full adulthood and independence, which is why this word appears so frequently in social interactions, official documents, and casual small talk.
Linguistic Root
The root of this word comes from the Arabic letters A-H-L, which relate to family, belonging, and people. Therefore, the literal sense implies having acquired a family or having become a family person.
You will often hear this word when people are getting to know each other. It is one of the standard demographic questions asked alongside age and occupation.

برادر من ده سال است که متأهل است.

In official settings, such as filling out forms for a bank account, a passport, or a job application, there is always a checkbox for marital status. The two primary options you will see are this word for married and its direct opposite for single. Culturally, being married changes how people address you and interact with you. For instance, landlords in Iran often prefer renting apartments to married couples rather than single individuals, a preference that is frequently explicitly stated in real estate listings.

این آپارتمان فقط به افراد متأهل اجاره داده می‌شود.

Moreover, the plural form of this word is used to refer to married couples as a collective group. For example, universities have specific dormitories designated exclusively for married students.
Plural Usage
When referring to a group of married people, especially in formal or academic contexts, the plural suffix '-in' is added, creating a noun form that means 'the married ones'.
It is also worth noting that while this word is an adjective, it functions almost identically to a noun when categorizing people. You might hear someone say 'He is from the married ones' to mean he belongs to the category of people who have spouses.

ما در مهمانی فقط افراد متأهل را دعوت کردیم.

The concept of marriage in Iran is deeply intertwined with extended family networks, so declaring yourself as married immediately signals to the listener that you are part of a larger, interconnected family unit. Therefore, mastering this word is not just about expanding your vocabulary; it is about equipping yourself to navigate the social landscape of the Persian-speaking world.

آیا شما متأهل هستید یا مجرد؟

Social Context
Using this word correctly helps you establish boundaries and clarify your social standing when interacting with native speakers, ensuring smooth and respectful communication.

دوست من به تازگی متأهل شده است.

By practicing this word in various sentence structures, you will build confidence in sharing personal information and understanding the personal information of others, which is a critical milestone in achieving fluency in the Persian language.
Using this adjective in Persian sentences is relatively straightforward once you understand the basic mechanics of Persian sentence structure, particularly how adjectives interact with the 'to be' verb. Because it describes a state of being, it is most frequently paired with the verb 'to be' (بودن) and the verb 'to become' (شدن). When you want to state your own marital status, you simply use the pronoun for 'I', followed by the adjective, and then the first-person singular conjugation of the 'to be' verb.

من متأهل هستم و دو فرزند دارم.

This structure remains consistent across all persons and numbers. You just change the pronoun and the corresponding verb ending.
Verb Pairing
The most common grammatical pattern is Subject + Adjective + 'To Be' verb. This is the standard way to express states and conditions in Persian.
If you want to talk about the transition from being single to being married, you use the verb 'to become'. This is equivalent to saying 'to get married' in English, although Persian has another specific verb for the act of marriage itself.

او سال گذشته متأهل شد.

You can also use this adjective to modify nouns directly, though this is less common than using it as a predicate adjective. When modifying a noun, it follows the noun and is connected by the Ezafe vowel (the short 'e' sound). For example, 'a married man' translates to 'mard-e...' followed by the adjective.

او یک مرد متأهل است و باید مسئولیت‌پذیر باشد.

Ezafe Construction
When placing this adjective directly after a noun, you must use the Ezafe connector. This is a fundamental rule of Persian grammar that links nouns to their modifiers.
In negative sentences, you simply negate the verb at the end of the sentence. If you are using the 'to be' verb, 'hastam' becomes 'nistam'.

من هنوز متأهل نیستم.

In question forms, the sentence structure remains exactly the same as the affirmative statement, but the intonation rises at the end of the sentence. You can also add the question word 'aya' at the beginning of the sentence to make it explicitly a yes/no question, particularly in formal writing or polite speech. Furthermore, this word can take comparative and superlative forms, although this is quite rare and usually meant as a joke, similar to saying 'more married' in English to describe someone who is very domesticated or deeply entrenched in married life.
Adverbial Use
It is not typically used as an adverb. To describe doing something 'in a married way', Persian speakers would use a different phrase entirely, focusing on the concept of life with a spouse.

زندگی به عنوان یک فرد متأهل چالش‌های خود را دارد.

By mastering these sentence patterns, you ensure that you can fluently and accurately discuss marital status in any conversation.
The contexts in which you will encounter this word are vast and varied, reflecting its importance in everyday life. One of the most common places you will hear or see this word is in bureaucratic and administrative settings. Any time you are dealing with government paperwork, university registration, hospital admission forms, or employment contracts in Iran or Afghanistan, you will be required to state your marital status. The forms will typically have a section labeled 'Vaziyat-e Ta'ahhol' (Marital Status), with checkboxes for single and married.

لطفاً در این فرم مشخص کنید که مجرد هستید یا متأهل.

Official Documents
In the Iranian national identity booklet (Shenasnameh), there is a specific page dedicated to recording the details of one's spouse, officially documenting this status.
Beyond official documents, you will frequently hear this word in social gatherings. Family parties, weddings, and casual get-togethers are prime locations for this vocabulary. Older relatives are particularly fond of asking younger family members about their plans for marriage, often contrasting the single state with the married state.

پسر عموی من بالاخره متأهل شد و همه خوشحال هستند.

Another very common context is the real estate market. When looking for an apartment to rent, you will quickly notice that landlords have strong preferences regarding the marital status of their tenants. Many landlords believe that married couples are more stable, quieter, and more responsible tenants compared to single individuals. Therefore, real estate agents will almost always ask you this question right away.
Real Estate Market
Listings often explicitly state 'Only for families' or 'Only for married couples', highlighting the practical implications of this word in daily life.

صاحبخانه گفت که خانه را فقط به یک زوج متأهل می‌دهد.

The workplace is another environment where this word surfaces. In some companies, marital status can influence benefits, allowances, and even hiring decisions, though this is changing. Colleagues will also ask this question when trying to build rapport and make small talk during breaks.

بیشتر کارمندان این شرکت متأهل هستند.

Media and Television
Iranian soap operas and movies heavily feature themes of marriage, family dynamics, and the contrast between single life and married life, making this word extremely frequent in media.

در این فیلم، قهرمان داستان یک زن متأهل است.

In short, whether you are dealing with the government, renting a house, making friends at work, or watching television, this word is an inescapable and vital part of the Persian vocabulary landscape.
When learning this word, English speakers and other non-native learners often stumble over a few specific hurdles related to pronunciation, usage, and vocabulary confusion. The most prominent mistake involves the pronunciation of the glottal stop in the middle of the word. Because the word comes from Arabic, it contains a letter (hamza) that requires a brief pause or catch in the throat, represented in English transliteration by an apostrophe.

تلفظ صحیح کلمه متأهل نیاز به دقت دارد.

Pronunciation Error
Many beginners ignore the glottal stop entirely and pronounce it as 'motahel', which, while understood in casual speech, is technically incorrect and sounds slightly unpolished in formal settings.
Another common mistake is confusing this adjective with the noun for 'marriage' or the verb 'to marry'. In English, 'married' is closely related to 'marriage' and 'marry'. In Persian, however, the words come from different roots. The word for marriage is 'ezdevaj', and the action of getting married is 'ezdevaj kardan'.

او متأهل است، اما مراسم ازدواجش فرداست.

Learners also sometimes confuse this word with the word for 'wedding', which is 'arusi'. A wedding is the event or party, while being married is the ongoing state. You cannot say 'I am wedding' when you mean 'I am married'.
Vocabulary Confusion
Distinguish clearly between the state (mota'ahhel), the institution (ezdevaj), and the celebration (arusi). Mixing these up leads to humorous but confusing sentences.
Additionally, there is a grammatical mistake involving the plural form. While you can add the plural suffix '-in' to refer to married people as a group (mota'ahhelin), you should not use this plural form when describing a single married couple.

آنها یک زوج متأهل هستند.

Finally, some learners try to use this word to describe things rather than people. In English, we might say 'married life'. In Persian, you generally do not apply this adjective to inanimate concepts directly in the same way. Instead of 'zendegi-ye mota'ahhel', it is better to say 'zendegi-ye zana-shuyi' (marital life) or 'zendegi-ye moshtarak' (shared life).
Collocation Error
Reserve this specific adjective for describing people. For describing the concept of marriage or related inanimate things, use other specific Persian terms.

آدم‌های متأهل معمولاً مسئولیت‌های بیشتری دارند.

من از زندگی به عنوان یک فرد متأهل لذت می‌برم.

By being aware of these common pitfalls, you can ensure that your Persian sounds natural, accurate, and culturally appropriate when discussing this important topic.
While this word is the standard and most universally understood term for 'married', the Persian language offers several alternatives and related words that convey similar meanings but carry different nuances, registers, or cultural connotations. Knowing these alternatives will enrich your vocabulary and help you understand native speakers in various contexts. One very common alternative is the word 'mozdavaj'. This word comes from the same Arabic root as 'ezdevaj' (marriage) and essentially means 'wedded' or 'joined in marriage'.
Formal Alternative
The word 'mozdavaj' is highly formal and is mostly found in legal texts, classical literature, or very formal speech. You would rarely use it in casual conversation.

آیا شما متأهل هستید یا مجرد؟

For more colloquial and everyday speech, Persians often use words that literally translate to 'having a spouse', 'having a wife', or 'having a husband'. The word 'hamsar-dar' literally means 'spouse-haver'. 'Hamsar' is the gender-neutral term for spouse. More specifically, you can use 'zan-dar' to describe a married man (literally: wife-haver) and 'shohar-dar' to describe a married woman (literally: husband-haver). These terms are very common in spoken Persian and informal storytelling.

او یک مرد متأهل و زن‌دار است.

Gender-Specific Terms
Words like 'zan-dar' and 'shohar-dar' immediately clarify the gender of the person's spouse, which is useful since the primary word we are studying is completely gender-neutral.
Another related term is 'ayaldar'. This is a more traditional, somewhat older term that literally means 'having a family' or 'having dependents'. It is often used to describe a man who is not just married, but has a wife and children to support. It carries a connotation of responsibility and being the head of a household.

پدرم یک مرد عیالوار و متأهل بود.

When contrasting these alternatives, the primary word remains the safest, most universally applicable choice. It works on official forms, in polite company, and in casual chats. The alternatives add flavor and specificity. For instance, if you want to emphasize the legal bond, use the primary word. If you want to emphasize the presence of a specific partner in casual talk, use 'zan-dar' or 'shohar-dar'.

وضعیت متأهل بودن در جامعه ما اهمیت زیادی دارد.

Summary of Alternatives
Mota'ahhel (Standard), Mozdavaj (Formal), Hamsar-dar (Neutral/Informal), Zan-dar (Male subject), Shohar-dar (Female subject), Ayaldar (Traditional/Family man).

همه دوستان من اکنون متأهل هستند.

Understanding these nuances allows you to choose exactly the right word for the right situation, demonstrating a high level of cultural and linguistic competence.

Ejemplos por nivel

1

من متأهل هستم.

I am married.

Subject + Adjective + To Be verb.

2

تو متأهل هستی؟

Are you married?

Question form with rising intonation.

3

او متأهل نیست.

He/She is not married.

Negative form of the To Be verb.

4

ما متأهل هستیم.

We are married.

First person plural conjugation.

5

آنها متأهل هستند.

They are married.

Third person plural conjugation.

6

برادرم متأهل است.

My brother is married.

Using possessive pronouns with family members.

7

خواهرم متأهل نیست.

My sister is not married.

Negative statement about a third party.

8

من مجرد نیستم، متأهل هستم.

I am not single, I am married.

Contrasting two adjectives.

1

او سال پیش متأهل شد.

He got married last year.

Using the verb 'shodan' (to become) in past tense.

2

من یک مرد متأهل هستم.

I am a married man.

Using Ezafe: mard-e mota'ahhel.

3

آنها یک زوج متأهل هستند.

They are a married couple.

Using Ezafe with 'zoj' (couple).

4

آیا شما متأهل هستید یا مجرد؟

Are you married or single?

Using 'ya' (or) in a question.

5

دوست من هنوز متأهل نشده است.

My friend has not gotten married yet.

Present perfect negative of 'shodan'.

6

پدر و مادرم سال‌هاست که متأهل هستند.

My parents have been married for years.

Expressing duration with 'sal-ha-st ke'.

7

برای این کار، افراد متأهل بهتر هستند.

For this job, married people are better.

Using the adjective with a plural noun 'afrad'.

8

او زن متأهل است.

She is a married woman.

Using Ezafe: zan-e mota'ahhel.

1

صاحبخانه فقط به خانواده‌های متأهل خانه اجاره می‌دهد.

The landlord only rents houses to married families.

Complex sentence with conditions.

2

خوابگاه متأهلین در داخل دانشگاه قرار دارد.

The married students' dormitory is located inside the university.

Using the plural noun form 'mota'ahhelin'.

3

وضعیت تأهل خود را در این فرم بنویسید.

Write your marital status on this form.

Using the noun form 'ta'ahhol'.

4

زندگی به عنوان یک فرد متأهل مسئولیت‌های زیادی دارد.

Life as a married person has many responsibilities.

Using 'be onvan-e' (as).

5

از وقتی که متأهل شده، کمتر دوستانش را می‌بیند.

Since he got married, he sees his friends less.

Using 'az vaghti ke' (since).

6

دولت به جوانان متأهل وام می‌دهد.

The government gives loans to married youth.

Using adjective with plural noun 'javanan'.

7

آمار افراد متأهل در شهر ما در حال کاهش است.

The statistics of married people in our city are decreasing.

Formal vocabulary 'amar' (statistics).

8

او ادعا کرد که مجرد است، اما در واقع متأهل بود.

He claimed to be single, but in reality he was married.

Contrasting clauses with 'amma' (but).

1

تسهیلات بانکی ویژه‌ای برای زوج‌های متأهل در نظر گرفته شده است.

Special bank facilities have been considered for married couples.

Passive voice in present perfect.

2

قوانین مالیاتی برای افراد مجرد و متأهل متفاوت است.

Tax laws are different for single and married individuals.

Comparing categories.

3

با وجود اینکه سال‌هاست متأهل است، هنوز مثل مجردها رفتار می‌کند.

Despite being married for years, he still acts like a single person.

Using 'ba vojud-e inke' (despite).

4

در فرهنگ سنتی، فشار زیادی برای متأهل شدن جوانان وجود دارد.

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