Signification
Used to point out an error or incorrectness.
Contexte culturel
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.
Signification
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.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'to be'.
این جواب _______ (is) اشتباه.
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?
Adding 'Bakhshid' and 'Fekr mikonam' makes the correction polite (Ta'arof).
Match the Persian phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
Matching the tense and register is key.
🎉 Score : /3
Aides visuelles
Formal vs Spoken
Banque d exercices
3 exercicesاین جواب _______ (is) اشتباه.
The third-person singular 'is' in formal Persian is 'است'.
How do you tell a teacher their calculation is wrong?
Adding 'Bakhshid' and 'Fekr mikonam' makes the correction polite (Ta'arof).
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
Matching the tense and register is key.
🎉 Score : /3
Questions fréquentes
14 questionsThe 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'.
Expressions liées
غلط است
synonymIt is wrong/incorrect
نادرست است
synonymIt is incorrect
اشتباه میکنی
builds onYou are making a mistake
خطا است
specialized formIt is an error
سهو است
specialized formIt is a slip/oversight
درست است
contrastIt is correct
