مجرم en 30 secondes
- Mojrem means criminal or offender in Persian.
- It is a formal term used in legal and news contexts.
- It comes from the Arabic root meaning 'to commit a fault'.
- Distinguish it from 'motaham' (accused) and 'gonāhkār' (sinner).
The Persian word مجرم (pronounced /mojrem/) is a foundational noun and adjective in the Persian language, primarily used to identify an individual who has been found guilty of committing a crime. Derived from the Arabic root ج-ر-م (j-r-m), which relates to the act of committing a fault or an offense, it carries a heavy legal and social weight. In a strict legal sense, a mojrem is someone whose guilt has been proven in a court of law, distinguishing them from a motaham (accused). However, in everyday conversation, it is often used more broadly to describe anyone perceived to have done something wrong or illegal.
- Legal Definition
- A person convicted of a violation of the penal code.
- Social Connotation
- Often implies a sense of moral failing or danger to society.
- Grammatical Role
- Functions as both a noun (the criminal) and an adjective (guilty/criminal).
پلیس در حال تعقیب مجرم فراری است.
Understanding the nuance of مجرم requires looking at its counterparts. While gonāhkār (sinner) is used in religious contexts, mojrem is the preferred term for secular, legal violations. In modern Iranian society, the term is frequently encountered in news broadcasts (akhbār), judicial reports, and detective cinema. It is not a word used lightly, as labeling someone a mojrem carries significant stigma. Linguistically, it is part of a larger family of words including jarimeh (fine/penalty) and jorm (crime).
دادگاه او را به عنوان یک مجرم سابقه دار شناخت.
Using مجرم correctly involves understanding its placement in Persian sentence structures and its collocations. It typically follows the noun it modifies or acts as the subject/object of a sentence. Because it is a formal word, it is most common in written Persian, news, and formal speech. In casual conversation, people might use simpler terms, but mojrem remains the standard for discussing law and order.
Common Sentence Structures
- [Subject] + مجرم + است/بود
Example: این مرد مجرم است. (This man is a criminal.)
- [Verb] + مجرم + را
Example: پلیس مجرم را دستگیر کرد. (The police arrested the criminal.)
When describing a person, you can use it as an adjective: shakhs-e mojrem (the guilty person). It is also frequently paired with intensifiers or specific types of crimes. For instance, mojrem-e sābeqeh-dār refers to a repeat offender or someone with a criminal record. In legal documents, you will see it paired with verbs like shenākhtan (to recognize/identify) or mahkum kardan (to convict).
"هیچ کس مجرم نیست مگر اینکه جرم او در دادگاه ثابت شود."
Translation: No one is a criminal unless their crime is proven in court. (A fundamental legal principle in Iran).
In the plural form, it becomes مجرمان (mojremān) or sometimes the Arabic plural مجرمین (mojremin), especially in very formal or older legal texts. For learners, sticking to mojremān is safer and more modern. Remember that the stress falls on the last syllable: moj-REM.
The word مجرم is ubiquitous in specific domains of Iranian life. If you turn on the television to watch the 9:00 PM news (Akhbār), you will almost certainly hear it during reports on the judiciary or police operations. It is a staple of the 'Havādes' (Incidents/Crime) section of newspapers like Hamshahri or Kayhan.
Primary Contexts
- News & Media
- Reporting on arrests, trials, and prison sentences.
- Cinema & TV
- Police procedurals and detective dramas (e.g., 'Khab o Bidar').
- Legal Settings
- Courtrooms, lawyer consultations, and official documents.
- Literature
- Modern novels dealing with social justice or the underworld.
In movies, the 'mojrem' is often the antagonist, and the dialogue frequently involves police officers shouting commands like "Majram ra motavaqef konid!" (Stop the criminal!). In a more metaphorical or literary sense, a poet might refer to themselves as a mojrem in the court of love, though gonāhkār is more common for that specific romantic trope.
Learners of Persian often struggle with the distinction between مجرم and several related words. The most frequent error is using mojrem when they actually mean motaham. This is a critical distinction in both legal and ethical terms.
- ✗
Confusing 'Criminal' with 'Accused'
Don't say mojrem for someone who is just a suspect. Use متهم (motaham) until the guilt is proven.
- ✗
Confusing 'Criminal' with 'Sinner'
While mojrem is for breaking man-made laws, گناهکار (gonāhkār) is for breaking religious or moral codes. You wouldn't call someone a 'mojrem' for lying to a friend, but you might call them a 'gonāhkār'.
- ✗
Misusing the Plural
Avoid mixing the Persian plural ending -ān with the Arabic plural ending -in in the same context. Mojremān is generally preferred in modern Persian.
Another mistake is the pronunciation of the 'j' and 'r'. Some learners accidentally say 'mo-jer-em' (adding an extra vowel). The correct pronunciation is two syllables: moj-rem. The 'j' (ج) and 'r' (ر) sit right next to each other without a vowel sound between them.
Warning!
Calling someone a 'mojrem' in a public setting in Iran without proof can lead to legal consequences for defamation (efterā).
Persian has a rich vocabulary for wrongdoing. While مجرم is the most direct translation for 'criminal', several other words occupy nearby semantic space, each with its own flavor.
- بزهکار (Bezehkār)
- Often used for juvenile delinquents or in sociological contexts. It sounds slightly more clinical or academic than 'mojrem'.
- متخلف (Motakhalef)
- Used for someone who violates a specific regulation or rule, like a traffic violator. It is less severe than 'mojrem'.
- جانی (Jāni)
- A much harsher word, referring to a violent criminal or a murderer. It implies a sense of brutality.
- خلافکار (Khalāfkār)
- A common colloquial term for someone involved in 'shady' activities or petty crime. It is less formal than 'mojrem'.
When choosing between these, consider the severity and the setting. Use مجرم for official/legal contexts, خلافکار for street slang, and متخلف for minor rule-breaking. Understanding these distinctions will make your Persian sound much more natural and precise.
Comparison Table:
| Word | English | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| مجرم | Criminal | High |
| متخلف | Violator | Low |
| جانی | Felon/Killer | Extreme |
How Formal Is It?
Niveau de difficulté
Grammaire à connaître
Ezafe construction for adjectives
Passive voice with 'shodan'
Direct object marker 'rā'
Pluralization of human nouns with '-ān'
Compound verbs with 'kardan' and 'shodan'
Exemples par niveau
او یک مجرم است.
He is a criminal.
Simple subject + noun + verb 'to be'.
مجرم کجاست؟
Where is the criminal?
Interrogative sentence.
من مجرم را دیدم.
I saw the criminal.
Direct object with 'rā'.
آن مرد مجرم نیست.
That man is not a criminal.
Negative form of 'to be'.
پلیس دنبال مجرم است.
The police are looking for the criminal.
Prepositional phrase 'donbāl-e'.
مجرم فرار کرد.
The criminal ran away.
Simple past tense.
اسم این مجرم چیست؟
What is this criminal's name?
Possessive construction (Ezafe).
مجرم در زندان است.
The criminal is in prison.
Locative preposition 'dar'.
پلیس مجرم را در خیابان دستگیر کرد.
The police arrested the criminal in the street.
Compound verb 'dastgir kardan'.
آیا او یک مجرم خطرناک است؟
Is he a dangerous criminal?
Adjective 'khatarnāk' modifying 'mojrem'.
مجرمان باید به زندان بروند.
Criminals must go to prison.
Plural noun 'mojremān' and modal 'bāyad'.
او به خاطر دزدی مجرم شناخته شد.
He was found guilty because of theft.
Passive-like construction 'mojrem shenākhteh shod'.
ما نباید با مجرمان همکاری کنیم.
We should not cooperate with criminals.
Negative modal 'nabāyad'.
مجرم از پنجره بیرون پرید.
The criminal jumped out of the window.
Preposition 'az' (from).
پلیس عکس مجرم را منتشر کرد.
The police released the criminal's photo.
Compound verb 'montasher kardan'.
او یک مجرم سابقه دار است.
He is a repeat offender.
Compound adjective 'sābeqeh-dār'.
دادگاه هنوز ثابت نکرده که او مجرم است.
The court hasn't proven yet that he is a criminal.
Subordinate clause with 'ke'.
بسیاری از مجرمان پس از زندان اصلاح میشوند.
Many criminals are rehabilitated after prison.
Passive verb 'eslāh mishavand'.
او ادعا میکند که مجرم نیست و بی گناه است.
He claims that he is not a criminal and is innocent.
Contrast between 'mojrem' and 'bi-gonāh'.
جامعه نباید به مجرمان به چشم حقارت نگاه کند.
Society should not look down upon criminals.
Idiomatic expression 'be cheshm-e haqārat negāh kardan'.
وکیل سعی کرد ثابت کند که موکلش مجرم نیست.
The lawyer tried to prove that his client is not a criminal.
Infinitive 'sābet kardan'.
مجرم با استفاده از تاریکی شب فرار کرد.
The criminal escaped using the darkness of the night.
Gerund-like phrase 'bā estefādeh az'.
دولت قوانین سختی برای مجرمان اقتصادی وضع کرده است.
The government has enacted strict laws for economic criminals.
Present perfect 'vaz' kardeh ast'.
او به عنوان یک مجرم جنگی محاکمه شد.
He was tried as a war criminal.
Compound noun 'mojrem-e jangi'.
شناسایی مجرمان سایبری برای پلیس دشوار است.
Identifying cybercriminals is difficult for the police.
Gerund subject 'shenāsāyi-ye mojremān'.
مجرم به تمام اتهامات خود اعتراف کرد.
The criminal confessed to all his charges.
Preposition 'be' with 'e'terāf kardan'.
حقوق قانونی مجرم باید در تمام مراحل دادرسی رعایت شود.
The legal rights of the criminal must be respected at all stages of the trial.
Passive voice 're'āyat shavad'.
او به دلیل همکاری با مجرمان به حبس محکوم شد.
He was sentenced to imprisonment for cooperating with criminals.
Causal phrase 'be dalil-e'.
روانشناسان در حال بررسی انگیزه های این مجرم هستند.
Psychologists are investigating the motives of this criminal.
Continuous present 'dar hāl-e barresi'.
استرداد مجرمان بین دو کشور توافق شد.
The extradition of criminals was agreed upon between the two countries.
Formal noun 'esterdād'.
مجرم از خلاءهای قانونی برای فرار از مجازات استفاده کرد.
The criminal used legal loopholes to escape punishment.
Metaphorical use of 'khalā' (vacuum/loophole).
رفتار مجرمانه او باعث نگرانی خانواده اش شده است.
His criminal behavior has caused concern for his family.
Adjective 'mojremāneh' derived from 'mojrem'.
تمایز میان مجرم و بزهکار در جرمشناسی مدرن حائز اهمیت است.
The distinction between a criminal and a delinquent is significant in modern criminology.
Formal academic vocabulary 'hā'ez-e ahammiyat'.
برخی معتقدند که فقر عامل اصلی تبدیل شدن افراد به مجرم است.
Some believe that poverty is the main factor in people becoming criminals.
Complex sentence with 'mo'taqedand ke'.
مجرم با خونسردی تمام در برابر قاضی ایستاد و دفاع کرد.
The criminal stood before the judge with total composure and defended himself.
Adverbial phrase 'bā khunsardi-ye tamām'.
سیاستهای جنایی باید بر پیشگیری از جرم متمرکز شوند تا مجرمسازی.
Criminal policies should focus on crime prevention rather than criminalization.
Abstract noun 'mojrem-sāzi' (criminalization).
او در کتاب خود به تحلیل روانشناختی شخصیتهای مجرم میپردازد.
In his book, he engages in the psychological analysis of criminal characters.
Formal verb 'mi-pardāzad' (deals with/engages in).
قانونگذار باید میان مجرمان اتفاقی و حرفهای تفاوت قائل شود.
The legislator must differentiate between accidental and professional criminals.
Legal term 'qānun-gozār' (legislator).
برچسب مجرم زدن به افراد میتواند مانع از بازگشت آنها به جامعه شود.
Labeling individuals as criminals can prevent their return to society.
Gerund phrase as subject.
مجرم پس از سالها فرار، سرانجام در دام قانون گرفتار شد.
After years of fleeing, the criminal was finally caught in the trap of the law.
Idiomatic 'dar dām-e qānun gereftār shodan'.
تقلیل مفهوم انسان به یک مجرم، بنمایه بسیاری از آثار داستایوفسکی است.
Reducing the concept of a human to a criminal is the core theme of many of Dostoevsky's works.
Philosophical/Literary register.
دیالکتیک میان قانون و مجرم در جوامع در حال گذار پیچیدگیهای خاص خود را دارد.
The dialectic between law and the criminal in transitioning societies has its own complexities.
Academic term 'diyalektik'.
مجرم در این روایت، نه یک کنشگر مستقل، بلکه محصول ساختارهای معیوب است.
The criminal in this narrative is not an independent agent, but a product of flawed structures.
Sociological analysis register.
ابهام در تعریف مجرم سیاسی همواره چالشبرانگیز بوده است.
Ambiguity in the definition of a political criminal has always been challenging.
Political/Legal discourse.
او با نگاهی پدیدارشناسانه به زیستجهان یک مجرم نگریسته است.
He has looked at the life-world of a criminal with a phenomenological gaze.
High-level philosophical vocabulary.
مجرمیت یک برچسب حقوقی است که لزوماً با رذیلت اخلاقی همسو نیست.
Criminality is a legal label that is not necessarily aligned with moral vice.
Abstract noun 'mojrimiyat'.
تلاقی فقر، جهل و اعتیاد، بستر مناسبی برای بازتولید مجرم فراهم میآورد.
The intersection of poverty, ignorance, and addiction provides a suitable ground for the reproduction of criminals.
Sociological 'bāztolid' (reproduction).
مجرم در مواجهه با عدالت، آینهای است که کاستیهای نظام قضایی را بازمیتاباند.
The criminal, in the face of justice, is a mirror that reflects the shortcomings of the judicial system.
Metaphorical/Poetic register.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
Souvent confondu avec
Expressions idiomatiques
Facile à confondre
Structures de phrases
Comment l'utiliser
Mojrem is technical; Gonahkar is moral/religious.
Avoid calling people 'mojrem' casually as it's insulting.
- Using 'mojrem' for a suspect (should be 'motaham').
- Pronouncing it with three syllables.
- Using it for religious sins (should be 'gonāhkār').
- Confusing it with 'mojarrad' (single).
- Confusing it with 'mojarreb' (experienced).
Astuces
Learn the family
Learn 'jorm' (crime) and 'jarimeh' (fine) together with 'mojrem'.
Legal sensitivity
In Iran, legal terms are taken very seriously in public discourse.
No extra vowels
Ensure you don't say 'mo-je-rem'. Keep it two syllables.
Formal vs Informal
Use 'mojrem' in essays, but 'khalafkar' in dialogue.
News keywords
When you hear 'mojrem', listen for the word 'dastgir' (arrested) nearby.
Plurals
Use 'mojremān' for a more modern Persian feel.
Check the verdict
Remember: no one is a 'mojrem' until the judge says so.
Precision
Use 'jāni' if the criminal is particularly violent.
The 'J' sound
Associate the 'J' in 'mojrem' with 'Jail'.
Adjective form
Add '-āneh' to make it an adverb/adjective: 'mojremāneh'.
Mémorise-le
Origine du mot
Arabic
Contexte culturel
Based on a mix of French civil law and Islamic law.
Very high; affects employment and marriage prospects.
Often shown in 'Havades' sections of newspapers.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Amorces de conversation
"آیا فیلمهای پلیسی و مجرمان را دوست داری؟"
"به نظر تو چرا آدمها مجرم میشوند؟"
"آیا تا به حال یک مجرم را از نزدیک دیدهای؟"
"نظر تو درباره اصلاح مجرمان چیست؟"
"در کشور تو با مجرمان چگونه برخورد میشود؟"
Sujets d'écriture
داستانی درباره یک مجرم که میخواهد زندگیاش را تغییر دهد بنویسید.
آیا مجازات همیشه بهترین راه برای برخورد با مجرم است؟
تفاوت بین یک مجرم و یک قهرمان در برخی شرایط چیست؟
اگر قاضی بودید، با یک مجرم جوان چگونه رفتار میکردید؟
تاثیر فقر بر تولید مجرم در جامعه را تحلیل کنید.
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsUsually, 'motakhalef' is used for minor things like traffic tickets, while 'mojrem' is for more serious crimes.
It's rare. People usually use 'gonahkar' or 'khalafkar' for self-deprecating humor.
Persian has no gender, so 'mojrem' is used for both men and women.
No, it's the Arabic plural and is common in very formal or religious-legal contexts.
Mojrem-e sayberi.
Mojrem-e jangi.
Usually, yes, as it implies a conviction that often leads to jail time.
No, it would be a very unusual and negative last name.
Yes, as in 'raftar-e mojremaneh' (criminal behavior).
The Arabic root J-R-M.
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Summary
The word 'مجرم' is the standard Persian term for a convicted criminal. While common in news and law, it carries a strong social stigma and should be used carefully, especially when distinguishing between a suspect and a guilty party.
- Mojrem means criminal or offender in Persian.
- It is a formal term used in legal and news contexts.
- It comes from the Arabic root meaning 'to commit a fault'.
- Distinguish it from 'motaham' (accused) and 'gonāhkār' (sinner).
Learn the family
Learn 'jorm' (crime) and 'jarimeh' (fine) together with 'mojrem'.
Legal sensitivity
In Iran, legal terms are taken very seriously in public discourse.
No extra vowels
Ensure you don't say 'mo-je-rem'. Keep it two syllables.
Formal vs Informal
Use 'mojrem' in essays, but 'khalafkar' in dialogue.
Contenu associé
Plus de mots sur law
ضابطه
B1Une règle ou un règlement établi par une autorité pour assurer l'ordre.
دادگاه
A2Un tribunal ou une cour de justice. C'est l'endroit où les affaires juridiques sont jugées.
دادخواست
B2Une plainte formelle déposée devant un tribunal civil.
ضامن
B1Guarantor, surety; a person who gives a guarantee.
دزد
A2Un voleur est une personne qui prend le bien d'autrui.
غیر قانونی
A2Not permitted by law; unlawful.
غیرقانونی
A2Not permitted by law; illegal.
غیرمجازاً
B2In an impermissible or unlawful manner.
جنایت کردن
A2Commencer un crime grave, comme un meurtre ou un vol majeur. Il s'agit d'accomplir un acte illégal considéré comme extrêmement grave, impliquant souvent la violence ou une violation des droits fondamentaux.
جرم
A1Un crime ou un délit punissable par la loi.
