Meaning
To flip through the leaves of a book or notebook.
Cultural Background
In Iran, the 'Fal-e Hafez' is a tradition where people open the book of Hafez's poetry at random. While the act of opening is 'baz kardan', the process of 'varagh zadan' through the beautiful calligraphy is considered a meditative act. In Tajikistan, where Persian (Tajiki) is written in Cyrillic, the phrase remains 'варақ задан'. It carries the same weight of scholarly tradition from the Silk Road era. In Dari Persian, 'ورق زدن' is used identically. In Afghan schools, 'varagh zadan' is often used by teachers to tell students to find a specific page quickly. In Persian academic circles, 'varagh zadan' can be a humble way to say one has researched a topic. 'من چند کتابی در این باره ورق زدهام' (I have flipped through a few books on this) implies 'I have some familiarity.'
Use it at the Bookstore
It's the perfect 'leave me alone' phrase for polite browsing.
Don't use with 'Kardan'
Remember, it's 'zadan', not 'kardan'. 'Varagh kardan' sounds like you are tearing the book apart!
Meaning
To flip through the leaves of a book or notebook.
Use it at the Bookstore
It's the perfect 'leave me alone' phrase for polite browsing.
Don't use with 'Kardan'
Remember, it's 'zadan', not 'kardan'. 'Varagh kardan' sounds like you are tearing the book apart!
Metaphorical Use
Use it when talking about memories to sound more like a native speaker.
Respect the Book
Even when 'flipping', Iranians tend to handle books with care. Using this phrase shows you understand the tactile nature of their culture.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'ورق زدن' in the past tense.
من دیروز در کتابخانه چند مجله را ________.
The sentence starts with 'Yesterday' (دیروز), so we need the simple past tense 'varagh zadam'.
Which sentence is the most natural for a bookstore?
In a bookstore, you want to tell the clerk you are just looking at books.
'Varagh zadan' is the standard way to say you are browsing books.
Match the Persian phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are all common verbs related to books.
Complete the dialogue.
A: این کتاب خیلی بزرگ است! B: بله، حتی ________ آن هم زیاد طول میکشد.
The context is about a 'big book', so 'flipping through it' makes the most sense.
Match the action to the situation.
You are looking for a specific photo in an old album.
You flip through an album to find a photo.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Varagh Zadan vs. Motale'eh Kardan
Practice Bank
5 exercisesمن دیروز در کتابخانه چند مجله را ________.
The sentence starts with 'Yesterday' (دیروز), so we need the simple past tense 'varagh zadam'.
In a bookstore, you want to tell the clerk you are just looking at books.
'Varagh zadan' is the standard way to say you are browsing books.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are all common verbs related to books.
A: این کتاب خیلی بزرگ است! B: بله، حتی ________ آن هم زیاد طول میکشد.
The context is about a 'big book', so 'flipping through it' makes the most sense.
You are looking for a specific photo in an old album.
You flip through an album to find a photo.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsYes, because e-readers simulate pages. However, for a website, use 'scroll'.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
'Varagh' refers to the leaf/sheet, 'safhe' refers to the page number/side. They are 95% interchangeable.
Yes, 'varagh' means cards, and 'varagh zadan' can mean shuffling or playing.
Use the present continuous: 'Dāram varagh mizanam'.
No, it specifically implies you are NOT reading deeply.
Yes, it's very common for albums.
'Daqiq khāndan' (reading carefully) or 'motāle'eh kardan'.
Yes, but it has been used in Persian for over a thousand years.
Yes, it means 'turn the page'.
In Persian, 'zadan' is a flexible verb used for many physical actions involving contact.
Yes, absolutely.
Related Phrases
صفحه زدن
synonymTo turn pages
زیر و رو کردن
similarTo search thoroughly
مرور کردن
builds onTo review
چشم انداختن
similarTo cast an eye
ورق برگشتن
specialized formThe situation changed
