Meaning
To playfully annoy or make fun of someone.
Cultural Background
Teasing is often a way to 'test' a new friend's sense of humor. If you can take a joke (ظرفیت داشتن), you are seen as more likable. The phrase is also used in Dari Persian with similar meaning, though local slang like 'shokhi kardan' might be more frequent in some regions. In Tajik, 'bo kase hazl kardan' is common, but 'sar ba sar shudan' can mean to collide or confront, showing a slight shift in meaning. Second-generation Iranians often mix this with English: 'Don't sar-be-sar me!' showing how central the idiom is to Persian identity.
The 'Nazar' Shortcut
In spoken Persian, always use 'nazar' instead of 'nagozar' for 'don't'. It sounds much more natural.
Watch the Tone
If you say this with a flat face and a sharp voice, it means 'Stop bothering me.' Smile to keep it friendly!
Meaning
To playfully annoy or make fun of someone.
The 'Nazar' Shortcut
In spoken Persian, always use 'nazar' instead of 'nagozar' for 'don't'. It sounds much more natural.
Watch the Tone
If you say this with a flat face and a sharp voice, it means 'Stop bothering me.' Smile to keep it friendly!
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'sar be sar gozashtan' in the present tense.
علی همیشه ________ برادرش ________.
We need the Ezafe (-e) for the object 'baradar' and the 3rd person singular present tense 'migozarad'.
Which situation is appropriate for using 'sar be sar gozashtan'?
In which scenario should you use this idiom?
This idiom is informal and used for playful interactions between friends.
Complete the dialogue.
A: فردا تولد من است! B: واقعاً؟ A: نه، شوخی کردم! B: ای بابا، باز ________!
B is saying 'You teased me again!' (2nd person singular, past tense).
Match the Persian phrase to its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are the most common variations of the idiom.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesعلی همیشه ________ برادرش ________.
We need the Ezafe (-e) for the object 'baradar' and the 3rd person singular present tense 'migozarad'.
In which scenario should you use this idiom?
This idiom is informal and used for playful interactions between friends.
A: فردا تولد من است! B: واقعاً؟ A: نه، شوخی کردم! B: ای بابا، باز ________!
B is saying 'You teased me again!' (2nd person singular, past tense).
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are the most common variations of the idiom.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsYes, generally. It's too informal. Use 'shukhi kardan' if you must talk about joking.
No, the idiom implies a playful, non-malicious intent. For bullying, use 'azyat kardan' or 'gholdori'.
Sar be saresh gozashtam (سر به سرش گذاشتم).
Yes, 'sar-be-sar-gozāri' (teasing), but it's less common than the verb.
Related Phrases
دست انداختن
synonymTo pull someone's leg / To prank.
شوخی کردن
similarTo joke.
اذیت کردن
similarTo annoy / To bother.
مسخره کردن
contrastTo ridicule / To mock.
